Scientific prevention of cauliflower black rot

Bacterial black rot is a serious disease that affects cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, mustard, radish, and turnip. The disease spreads easily under favorable conditions like heavy rainfall, poor drainage, excessive nitrogen fertilizer use, and high pest populations. Farmers must take timely and effective measures to prevent and manage this disease in order to protect their crops. **Symptoms of the Disease** During the seedling stage, the cotyledons become water-soaked and gradually turn brown, leading to wilting and spreading to the true leaves. The veins show dark streaks of varying lengths. As the plants mature, the main symptoms appear on the leaves, starting from the edges and moving inward. Characteristic "V"-shaped yellow-brown lesions form, with blackened veins. The leaf margins may develop black rot, surrounded by a yellow halo. The infection can spread to the stems and roots, causing the vascular bundles to darken and leading to grayish-black decay of the flower heads. In severe cases, the entire plant may die. **Prevention and Control Measures** 1. **Use of Disease-Free Seeds**: Collect seeds from healthy plants and disinfect them before sowing. Soak seeds in a 45% Daisen ammonium solution (200–400 times dilution) for 20 minutes, or treat them with 0.3% thiram (by weight) or soak in streptomycin (1000 times dilution) for 2 hours. After washing and drying, the seeds can be sown. 2. **Crop Rotation**: Implement a two- to three-year rotation with non-cruciferous crops to reduce the buildup of pathogens in the soil. 3. **Pest Management**: Control pests such as diamondback moth, cabbage caterpillar, beet armyworm, aphids, and others to prevent disease transmission. Use insecticides like 4.5% Lufu EC (diluted 1000 times), 30% Nurva (acetamiprid) EC (500–800 times), 480 g/L Dino (chlorpyrifos) EC (500–800 times), or 24% Ling Shui agent (500 times). 4. **Improved Field Management**: Ensure timely sowing, proper seedling management, and adequate drainage after rain to avoid waterlogging. Maintain balanced fertilization and promote strong plant growth to enhance resistance to diseases. 5. **Field Sanitation**: After harvesting, remove and dispose of plant residues by burying or burning them to eliminate potential sources of infection. Deep plowing and proper soil preparation help reduce bacterial load in the field. 6. **Chemical Treatment**: Apply fungicides such as 77% copper oxychloride WP (500 times), 50% Son Zinc (600 times), 50% DAS (1000 times), or 72% streptomycin (powder or neophytin at 4000 times). Spray every 7–10 days, and repeat 2–3 times if necessary. Increase the frequency of spraying in severely infected areas. By combining these preventive and curative strategies, farmers can effectively manage bacterial black rot and ensure healthier cauliflower crops.

Clostridium Butyricum

C. butyricum, a butyrate-producing, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium, is found in a wide variety of environments, including soil, cultured milk products, and vegetables. It is also present in the human gut: it is detected in 10–20% of the adult human population and is often one of the earliest colonizers in infants. In the human gut, where it is considered a ‘symbiont (living together with the host), C. butyricum has a fermentative lifestyle and can consume undigested dietary fibers and generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), specifically butyrate and acetate. Butyrate is one of the dominant fermentation end-products and is produced by C. butyricum via the butyrate kinase (buk) pathway. SCFAs produced by microbial organisms in the colon are known to have myriad and important effects on host health, including modulating intestinal immune homeostasis, improving gastrointestinal barrier function, and alleviating inflammation. As such, butyrate-producing organisms like C. butyricum have become attractive candidates to test for beneficial effects in a host. Genomic analyses are increasingly identifying novel bacterial strains with health-promoting potential that are distinct from classic probiotics (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria).

butyrate, immunity, intestinal barrier, inflammation

Biodep Biotechnology Co. ,Ltd. , https://www.biodep.com