Isolation of lytic bacteriophage against Ralstonia solanacearum : A research reference book on isolation of bacteriophages

Bacteriophages are the viruses of prokaryotes, acts as natural bacterial killers, that infects bacteria and can either instantly kill a bacterial cell. Although phage typing was discovered during the second decade of the 20th century, a widespread appreciation of their viral character of specific bacteria were being used in as biocontrol agents in plant protection. Control of plant pathogenic bacteria is a serious problem in production of many agricultural crops. High multiplication rate, adaptability and life inside plant tissue make bacteria unsuitable and inaccessible for most of control measures. Consequently, the list of bactericides available for plant protection is very short. Lately, biological control measures have been intensively studied as a potential solution for the current problems in agriculture. Investigation of bacteriophages, viruses that attack bacteria, is a fast-expanding area of research in plant protection.