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Title: ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA IN COFFEA ARABICA L.

Author
item Vega, Fernando
item PAVA-RIPOLL, MONICA - DEPT.ENTOMOLOGY UMD
item Posada-Florez, Francisco
item Buyer, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Journal of Basic Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2004
Publication Date: 10/1/2005
Citation: Vega, F.E., Pava-Ripoll, M., Buyer, J.S. 2005. Endophytic bacteria in coffea arabica l.. Journal of Basic Microbiology. 45:371-380.

Interpretive Summary: The coffee berry borer is the most devastating pest of coffee throughout the world and is very difficult to control. One possible mechanism to manage this insect is through the establishment of organisms in the coffee plant that are antagonistic to the coffee berry borer. To learn more about what organisms already inhabit the plant, a survey was conducted and several bacteria were identified. The results open a whole new area of research on the possible role that these bacteria might have on the plant, and will be useful to coffee scientists throughout the world.

Technical Abstract: Eighty-seven culturable endophytic bacterial isolates in 22 genera were obtained from coffee plants collected in Colombia (n=67), Hawaii (n=17), and Mexico (n=3). Both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria were isolated, with a greater percentage (68%) being Gram negative. Tissues yielding bacterial endophytes included adult plant leaves, various parts of the berry (e.g., crown, pulp, peduncle and seed), and leaves, stems, and roots of seedlings. Some of the bacteria also occurred as epiphytes. The highest number of bacteria among the berry tissues sampled was isolated from the seed, and includes Bacillus, Burkholderia, Clavibacter, Curtobacterium, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Stenotrophomonas. This is the first survey of the endophytic bacteria diversity in various coffee tissues, and the first study reporting endophytic bacteria in coffee seeds.