Характеристика возбудителей бактериальных гнилей картофеля на территории Беларуси

Abstract

68 samples of various cultivars of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) were under research. 275 bacterial strains were isolated from the soft rot tubers and macerated green stems collected in 2011–2012 years. The following criteria were applied to the bacteria isolates to distinguish pathogenic isolates from saprotrophic ones for further research: ability to cause rot of plant tissue, ability to cause reaction of hypersensitivity on Vicia faba leaves, ability to degradation of pectin substances, ability to hydrolyze of carboxymethylcellulose and proteins of milk. This resulted in a set of 70 bacteria isolates. These isolates were divided into 4 groups (with sub-groups) based on their morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. Bacteria of Pectobacterium genus (which traditionally considered as a cause of soft rot of potato on Belarus area) is the most spread pathogens nowadays. We found also that the cause of soft rot of potato in Belarus are gram-positive bacteria, similar to the Bacillus pumilus species according to physiological and biochemical tests and morphological characteristic, and the fluorescent pseudomonades.