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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #288577
Title: Isolation of bacteria from cotton bolls in the Texas Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley

Author
item FIELD, KENDALL - Texas A&M University
item SCHUSTER, GRETA - Texas A&M University
item NELSON, SHAD - Texas A&M University
item Medrano, Enrique
item WOODWARD, J - Texas A&M Agrilife
item ONG, KEVIN - Texas Experiment Station

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2012
Publication Date: 1/27/2013
Citation: Field, K.N., Schuster, G., Nelson, S., Medrano, E.G., Woodward, J.E., Ong, K. 2013. Isolation of bacteria from cotton bolls in the Texas Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Boll rots have caused a reduction in yield, lint quality, and increased contaminated seed. During 2011 and 2012 field surveys were conducted throughout the Texas Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley to determine incidence of cotton boll rot. A variety trial was conducted using the top five varieties (FiberMax (FM) 1740B2F, FM 840B2F, DeltaPine (DP) 1044B2RF, DP 1048B2RF, and Phytogen (PHY) 375WRF) produced in the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley regions of Texas based on producer input. Cotton bolls exhibiting insect or environmental damage were collected, dissected, ground, and plated on Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA). Colonies were identified using Gas Chromatographic Fatty Acid Methyl Esters. Preliminary results indicate that Arthobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Flavimonas, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas spp. are the most commonly found microorganisms throughout the observed regions in Texas. The results also show less than 1% of bolls were infected by cotton boll rot. Determining the pathogenicity of these bacterial microorganisms would improve upon the knowledge of bacteria that may be associated with boll rot. Due to implications in the study, further research is warranted.