Evaluation of different formulations on the viability of phages for use in agriculture

Bacteriophages have been proposed as biological controllers to protect plants against different bacterial pathogens. In this scenario, one of the main challenges is the low viability of phages in plants and under adverse environmental conditions. This work explores the use of 12 compounds and 14 different formulations to increase the viability of a phage mixture that demonstrated biocontrol capacity against <i>Pseudomonas syringae</i> pv. <i>actinidiae</i> in kiwi plants.The results showed that the viability of the phage mixture decreases at 44°C, at pH lower than 4 and under UV radiation. However, using excipients such as skim milk, casein, and glutamic acid can prevent the viability loss of the phages under these conditions. Likewise, it was demonstrated that the use of these compounds prolongs the presence of phages in kiwi plants from 48 hours to at least 96 hours. In addition, it was observed that phages remained stable for seven weeks when stored in powder with skim milk, casein, or sucrose after lyophilization and at 4° C. Finally, the phages with glutamic acid, sucrose or skim milk maintained their biocontrol activity on kiwi leaves and were and persisted within kiwi plants when added through roots. This study contributes to overcoming the challenges associated with the use of phages as biological controllers in agriculture.