Inhibitory activities of venom alkaloids of Red Imported Fire Ant against Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in vitro and the application of piperidine alkaloids to manage symptom development of bacterial canker on tomato in the greenhouse

Tomato bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (CMM) is a highly destructive disease that has caused major economic losses in tomato production worldwide. In seeking disease management alternatives, the inhibitory activity of alkaloids extracted from the Red Imported Fire Ant was studied in the laboratory and the greenhouse. Piperidine and piperideine alkaloids each significantly inhibited CMM growth on nutrient agar plates. The inhibitory activity of piperidine alkaloids was stable at 4 ^° C and 22 ^° C for 12 weeks and at 54 ^° C for 4 weeks. The growth of CMM was negatively correlated with the concentration of piperidine alkaloids in nutrient broth. In the greenhouse, piperidine alkaloids also significantly reduced the symptom development on two tomato cultivars, Better Boy and DRK7018F1. This is the first demonstration that piperidine and piperideine alkaloids from the Red Imported Fire Ant are highly inhibitory against a plant-pathogenic bacterium, viz. CMM. Piperidine alkaloids could provide satisfactory management of CMM bacterial canker on tomato seedlings in the greenhouse. Our findings may lead to the development of a new group of bactericides.