Aims: To identify biocontrol agents to prevent the growth of Salmonella serotype Enterica on cantaloupe melons during the pre- and postharvest periods.
Methods and results: We created a produce-associated bacterial library containing 8736 isolates and screened it using an in-vitro fluorescence inhibition assay to identify bacteria that inhibit the growth of S. Enterica. One isolate, Pantoea agglomerans ASB05, was able to grow, persist, and inhibit the growth of S. Enterica on intact cantaloupe melons under simulated pre- and postharvest conditions. We also demonstrated that the growth inhibition of S. Enterica by P. agglomerans ASB05 was due to the production of a phenazine type antibiotic.
Conclusions: Pantoea agglomerans ASB05 is an effective biocontrol agent for the prevention of S. Enterica growth on intact cantaloupe melons in both the pre- and postharvest environments.
Keywords: Pantoea agglomerans; Salmonella enterica; biocontrol; phenazine antibiotic.
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International 2023.