RE:Bacterial Soft Rot (Long)
- Subject: RE:Bacterial Soft Rot (Long)
- From: "David Silverberg" s*@molalla.net
- Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:35:21 -0700
As I have said many times on this list - the only product that is type specific against Erwinia carrotovoria, the causitive agent for Bacterial Soft Rot, is Streptomycin in a water soluble form as the sulfate or nitrate salt. I have been using it for the last 30 + years and am still working on the first package I purchased back in N.J. I store the powder in an air-tight zip-lock bag in the freezer. Each spring I prepare a single gallon of solution. I then fill a one quart spray bottle available at any hardware, farm store, etc. As I make my rounds through the garden I search for problems and whenever rot is present or even suspected (odor, appearance) the plant gets sprayed with the Agri-Strep solution. Seldom in these 30 + years have I ever had to prepare a second gallon and in most years there is still a major portion remaining in the spray bottle from the first filling.
Perhaps I have been extremely fortunate in not having been attacked by soft rot here in Oregon, but back in N.J. with the high humidity and temperatures rot was an almost daily occurence. Still, if caught early, and treated aggressively, Streptomycin can be an extremely useful aid to the iris gardener.
I have copied a fact sheet (Google search) on Streptomycin as an information guide. For those of us who are concerned with what we put into the environment, it is encouraging to note that Streptomycin is non-toxic to birds and fresh water invertebrates.
Those on of you on this list who are "soft rot challenged" might want to give this product a try. I have my own sheet of "DIRECTIONS" that I will gladly supply to any one interested.
Dave Silverberg
Molalla, Oregon, USA, zone 7/8ish
V.P. Archivist/Historian HIPS
E X T O X N E T
Extension Toxicology Network
A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and University of California at Davis. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.
Pesticide
Information
Profile
Streptomycin
Publication Date: 9/95
TRADE OR OTHER NAMES
Streptomycin is also called streptomycine, streptomycin sulfate or streptomycin nitrate. Trade names
include Agri-mycin-17, Plantomycin; Agrept, Rimosidin, and AS-50 (1, 2). (Agri-Strep should als be added to this list,Dave)
REGULATORY STATUS
Streptomycin is a General Use Pesticide (GUP) registered for use on fruits and vegetables. It may also
be used on nonfood crops such as tobacco and greenhouse ornamentals (3).
INTRODUCTION
Streptomycin is a human antibiotic drug which also is used to control bacteria, fungi, and algae in crops. It is an aminoglycoside with systemic action that is used on fruits, vegetables, tobacco, ornamentals, and in ponds and aquaria (2, 3). It controls a number of commercially important bacterial plant pathogens including fireblight of pear and apple, walnut blight, tomato canker, bacterial canker, angular leaf blight, and others. Gram positive species of bacteria are much more susceptible to its action than gram negative species (4). The EPA has classified it as Toxicity class IV- relatively non- toxic. Products containing streptomycin bear the Signal Word "Caution" because of its potential to cause skin reactions. It is available as a water soluble powder, pellets or emulsifiable concentrate (3).
TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ACUTE TOXICITY
Streptomycin is practically non-toxic. The dose which kills half of the test animals, the LD50, is 9,000
mg/kg for rats and greater than 10,000 mg/kg for mice (1, 4). Streptomycin may cause mild skin
irritation or allergic skin reactions. Sensitive patients have shown reactions including rash, hives,
headache, drop in blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting (6).
CHRONIC TOXICITY
Reproductive Effects
No information currently available.
Teratogenic Effects
Rabbits dosed with 5 or 10 mg/kg/day of streptomycin showed no teratogenic effects (5).
Mutagenic Effects
No information currently available.
Carcinogenic Effects
No information currently available.
Organ Toxicity
Studies have shown that streptomycin can cause ear damage which is greatest in people exposed for
four weeks or more (5, 8). Exposure to aminoglycosides such as streptomycin can result in kidney
damage. In rare cases, streptomycin can cause paralysis by interfering with calcium transport in the
nervous system (8).
Fate in Humans and Animals
Topical application or aerosol delivery of aminoglycosides results in minimal absorption.
Aminoglycosides are not metabolized by the body. The compound concentrates in the kidney and can
be detected in human urine for up to 10 days after a week-long dosing schedule. The time it takes for
individuals to eliminate aminoglycosides depends on their kidney function (8).
ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Effects on Birds
Streptomycin is practically non-toxic to birds (6).
Effects on Aquatic Organisms
Streptomycin is practically non-toxic to fresh water invertebrates. It is slightly toxic to warm and cold
water species of fish. It is very toxic to algae and is used to control algae in ponds and aquaria (6).
Effects on Other Animals (Nontarget species)
Streptomycin is used as an antibacterial agent for cats (7). Dogs which consume streptomycin develop
resistance to the compound in the intestinal microorganisms (5).
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Breakdown of Chemical in Soil and Groundwater
No information currently available.
Breakdown of Chemical in Water
No information currently available.
Breakdown of Chemical in Vegetation
Residues of streptomycin are not detectable in or on crops when treated according to label use rates
and directions (3). Streptomycin may cause chlorosis to corn, grapes, pears, peaches, and certain
ornamentals (2).
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND GUIDELINES
Streptomycin is an off-white powder derived from Streptomyces griseus bacteria (4). It is odorless and
has a slightly bitter taste. The salt forms are hygroscopic but are not affected by exposure to light or air
(7). Neutral solutions of streptomycin are stable for weeks at temperatures below 25 degrees C.
Streptomycin is more active at an alkaline pH (9). It is unstable in strong acids and alkalis. It is
incompatible with alkaline materials (1).
Physical Properties:
CAS#:
57-92-1
3810-74-0 Streptomycin sulfate
Solubility in water: Solubility in water is greater than 20 mg/ml (7)
Solubility in other solvents: Insoluble in ethanol, isopropanol, ether, and carbon tetrachloride (7, 9)
Exposure Guidelines:
NOEL:
125 mg/kg/day (rats)(1)
ADI:
0.05 mg/kg (5)
BASIC MANUFACTURERS
Pfizer, Inc.
Minerals Division
640 N. 13th St.
Easton, PA 18042
Telephone: 215/250-3036
Review by Basic Manufacturer:
Comments solicited: October, 1994
Comments received:
Merck & Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 450
Three Bridges, NJ 08887-0450
Review by Basic Manufacturer:
Comments solicited: October, 1994
Comments received: November, 1994
REFERENCES
1.The Agrochemicals Handbook, Third Edition. 1994. Royal Society of Chemistry Information
Systems, Unwin Brothers Ltd., Surrey, England.
2.Thomson, W. T. 1983. Agricultural Chemicals Book II Herbicides 1982. I Insecticides.
Thomson Publications. Fresno, CA.
3.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1988. Fact Sheet Number 186 Streptomycin. USEPA.
Washington, DC.
4.Meister, R.T. 1994. Farm Chemicals Handbook '94. Meister Publishing Company. Willoughby,
OH.
5.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1988. Guidance for the Registration of Pesticide
Products Containing Streptomycin and Streptomycin Sulfate as the Active Ingredient Case
Number 0169. USEPA. Washington, DC.
6.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. R.E.D.(Registration Eligibility Document) Facts.
Streptomycin and Streptomycin Sulfate. USEPA. Washington, DC.
7.Budavari, Susan, (ed.). 1989. The Merck Index, Eleventh Edition. Merck and Company Inc.
Rahway, NJ.
8.Wingard, Lemuel, T. Brody et. al. 1991. Human Pharmacology Molecular- to-Clinical. Mosby
Year Book. Baltimore, MD.
9.Katzung, B.G. 1987. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, Third Edition. Appleton and Lange.
Norwalk, CT.
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