Isolation, Characterization of a Novel Bacteriophage vB_RsoP_BMB116 and Its Biocontrol Efficacy Against Ralstonia solanacearum

Ralstonia solanacearum is an increasingly prominent multidrug-resistant phytopathogen. Phages are an effective alternative for treating R. solanacearum infections. In this study, the phage vB_RsoP_BMB116, which is specific to R . solanacearum , was isolated from Fujian, China. Electron microscopy revealed that vB_RsoP_BMB116 exhibited a Podoviridae morphotype. The double-stranded DNA genome of vB_RsoP_BMB116 spans 82,991 bp (base pairs) and encodes 126 predicted unidirectionally oriented genes, of which 42 have putative functions assigned, while the remainder encode hypothetical proteins. Genome analysis indicated that vB_RsoP_BMB116 is a new genus. Furthermore, tomato plant experiments conducted in this study demonstrated that vB_RsoP_BMB116 significantly reduces the disease incidence of tomato bacterial wilt induced by R. solanacearum , thus providing effective experimental support for its potential as a biological control agent against tomato bacterial wilt in agricultural settings. In summary, these results not only expand the genetic repertoire of phages targeting R. solanacearum but also establish a theoretical and experimental basis for developing phage-mediated biocontrol approaches to manage bacterial wilt in tomato cultivation.