Ralstonia solanacearum – a New Threat to Potato Production in Serbia

Abstract

A survey of ware potatoes (a total of 1127 samples) from localities in Serbia during two consecutive years resulted in detection and identification of R. solanacearum in 17 tuber samples. The monitoring detected the causal agent of bacterial wilt and brown rot of potato in three districts of Vojvodina province. In 2011, the infection by R. solanacearum was confirmed in 7 samples of ware potato tubers (varieties – Saturna, Pirol, Hermes, Panda) in West Bačka and South Bačka Districts. In 2012, the infection by R. solanacearum was confirmed in 10 potato tuber samples (Lady Claire, Desiree, Panda, Red Fantasy and Vineta varieties) from two districts: South Bačka and Central Banat. Bacterial strains obtained from positive samples were identified as R. solanacearum biovar 2 using PCR/RFLP analysis, pathogenicity test on tomato transplants, and nutritional, enzymatic and biovar determination tests. To our best knowledge, these are the only findings of R. solanacearum infection in ware potatoes in Serbia. R. solanacearum was not detected in tomato or any other host plant tested in this study. Furthermore, the bacterium was not found in any of the water samples tested, including those originating from areas in which the bacterium was found in ware potato samples.

Pregledom merkantilnog krompira (ukupno 1127 uzoraka) iz lokaliteta u Srbiji tokom dve uzastopne godine, R. solanacearum je detektovana i identifikovana u 17 uzoraka krtola krompira. Rezultati su pokazali da je prouzrokovač mrke truleži krtola i bakteriozne uvelosti krompira registrovan samo u 3 okruga u Vojvodini. Tokom 2011. godine, R. solanacearum je potvrđena u 7 uzoraka krtola merkantilnog krompira (sorte: Saturna, Pirol, Hermes, Panda) u Zapadnobačkom i Južnobačkom okrugu. Tokom 2012. godine, R. solanacearum je potvrđena u 10 uzoraka krtola merkantilnog krompira (sorte: Lady Claire, Desiree, Panda, Red fantasy, Vineta) lociranih u dva okruga: Južnobački i Srednjebanatski. Sojevi izolovane bakterije identifikovani su kao R. solanacearum biovar 2 na osnovu PCR/RFLP analize, testa patogenosti na rasadu paradajza, biohemijskih odlika bakterije i testova za određivanje biovara. Prema našim saznanjima, ovo su jedini nalazi R. solanacearum u merkantilnom krompiru u Srbiji. Istraživanje je pokazalo i da R. solanacearum nije detektovana u biljkama paradajza kao ni u drugim testiranim biljkama domaćinima ove bakterije. Takođe, bakterija nije detektovana ni u jednom uzorku vode, uključujući i one poreklom iz područja gde je bakterija nađena u uzorcima krtola krompira.