‘New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease’

Monday, 01 December 2025 07:37:53

Grahame Jackson posted a new submission ‘New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease’

Submission

New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease

PennState

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Bacterial speck is a common disease affecting tomatoes that can result in lower yields for growers. A new study led by researchers at Penn State gives new clues on how a plant’s microbiome can be used to combat the pathogen.

The research — published in the journal Environmental Microbiome — examined how disease suppressive microbiomes of a tomato plant’s phyllosphere, the portion of the plant above ground, differed from the microbiomes of plants that were conducive to bacterial speck.

The team found that a number of populations of Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas bacteria were present on the plants that had developed a resistance against bacterial speck, suggesting they play a role in suppressing the disease.

Kevin Hockett, associate professor of microbial ecology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and lead author on the paper, said the findings could eventually help lead to new treatments for plants, as well as open up opportunities for further research.

Read on: https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/new-clues-how-plant-microbiomes-protect-against-bacterial-speck-disease

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