Abstract
The bacterial soft rot and vascular wilt of sugar beet are the major diseases of sugar crops globally induced by
Pectobacterium
betavasculorum
and
P. carotovorum
subsp.
carotovorum
(
Pcc
). The control of this bacterial disease is a severe problem, and only a few copper-based chemical bactericides are available for this disease. Because of the limitations of chemicals to control plant bacterial pathogens, the essential oils and extracts have been considered one of the best alternative strategies for their control. In this study, twenty-seven essential oils and twenty-nine plant extracts were extracted and evaluated for their antibacterial activities against
Pectobacterium betavasculorum
isolate C3, using the agar diffusion method at 0.01%, 0.1%, and 100% (
v
/
v
). Pure
Pimpinella anisum
L. oil exhibited the most anti-bacterial activity among three different concentrations of essential oils and extracts, followed by
Thymus vulgaris
L. oil and
Rosa multiflora
Thunb. extract. The efficacy of effective essential oils and extracts on Ic
1
cultivar of sugar beet seeds germination and seedling growth in vivo also were tested. The seed germination of the Ic1 cultivar was inhibited at all the concentrations of essential oils used. Only extracts of
Rosa multiflora
Thunb.,
Brassica oleracea
L.,
Lactuca serriola
L.,
Salvia rosmarinus
Spenn.,
Syzygium aromaticum
(L.) Merr. and L.M.Perry,
Eucalyptus globulus
Labill., and essential oils of
Ocmium basilicum
L.,
Pimpinella anisum
L., and
Mentha× piperita
L.L. in 0.1% concentration had no inhibition on seed germination and could improve seedling growth. This is the first report of the antibacterial activity of essential oils and extracts on
Pectobacterium betavasculorum
.