Laboratory Efficacy of Essential Oils Against Pectobacterium carotovorum Subsp. carotovorum and Pectobacterium atrosepticum Causing Soft Rot of Potato Tubers

The antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) from Carum carvi, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cuminum cyminum, Eugenia caryophyllus, Foeniculum vulgare, Melaleuca alternifolia, Mentha × piperita, Origanum vulgare, Rosmarinus officinalis and Thymus vulgaris was tested against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) and Pectobacterium atrosepticum (Pa), which cause soft rot of potato tubers. In disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests, cinnamon EO was found to be most effective against both bacteria. The inhibition zones ranged from 20.46 to 29.58 mm for a concentration of 100 μL/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 0.5 μL/mL, and MBC was between 0.5 and 5 μL/mL. The higher sensitivity of bacteria was manifested in clove (Pcc and Pa), mint (Pcc), oregano (Pa) and thyme (Pa) EOs. Rosemary EO was the least effective. The results of the in vivo test were not entirely consistent with those of the in vitro tests. The most significant antibacterial effect was achieved with mint EO. The treatment of potato tuber discs with mint EO at a concentration of 3 μL/mL for Pcc and 3–10 μL/mL for Pa was 100% effective. The efficacy of the essential oils of caraway (5–10 μL/mL), thyme (10 μL/mL) and oregano (5 μL/mL) also ranged from 95.7 to 99.7%. Based on the results of the in vivo test, it may be recommended that mint EO and potentially caraway, oregano and thyme EOs be further tested for pickling potato tubers against bacteria of the genus Pectobacterium.