Antibacterial activity of some essential oils on bacterial spot disease of tomato plant caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria

Bacterial spot disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria is considered one of the major diseases of tomato crop worldwide. The objective of this paper was to study the effect of certain essential oils (EOs), lemongrass, oleum and thyme, on X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria (PHYX14) for controlling bacterial spot disease in tomato plants. The tested three essential oils (EOs) showed antibacterial activity in vitro test at 1:10 concentration against the PHYX14.Thyme oil exhibited the highest inhibition against PHYX14 followed by lemongrass and finally oleum. Under greenhouse conditions, the effect of EOs on the bacterial spot of tomato was evaluated on tomato seedlings. Thyme oil exhibited the highest reducing of tomato bacterial spot followed oleum and then lemongrass. Results indicated that the application of the tested (EOs) to tomato plants two days after the infection caused the highest reduction of disease severity. While the application of oleum oil exhibited the highest induction of the oxidative enzymes, peroxidase (PO) and polyphenol enzyme (PPO). Also increased total phenolic contents of tomato leaves followed lemongrass and then thyme oil as compared by control. The application of EOs two days before the infection caused the highest induction of PO, PPO enzymes and total phenolic contents in tomato leaves than two days after the inoculation.