Holdover Inoculum of Pseudomonas syringae pv. alisalensis from Broccoli Raab Causes Disease in Subsequent Plantings.

Uniform plots of broccoli raab (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) seedlings were inoculated with a rifampicin-resistant strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. alisalensis, the causal agent of bacterial blight on crucifers, resulting in 100% disease incidence in mature plants. Diseased plants were incorporated into the soil at maturity and smaller replicated plots were replanted at various times after incorporation. Rifampicin-resistant fluorescent pseudomonads with rep-PCR profiles identical to P. syringae pv. alisalensis were isolated from lesions on plants grown in soil into which the first diseased crop was incorporated. Disease incidence declined in mature plants as the length of time between incorporation of the first planting and seeding of the replanted plots increased. Bacterial population levels in soil decreased over time and bacteria were no longer detectable 3 weeks after incorporation of the diseased crop. In laboratory tests, population levels of P. syringae pv. alisalensis decreased in untreated soil but not in autoclaved soil. Greenhouse studies demonstrated a direct correlation between population levels of P. syringae pv. alisalensis applied to soil and disease incidence in seedlings. However, the decline in bacterial populations in field soils did not wholly account for the decline in disease incidence with subsequent plantings.

A New Pathovar, Pseudomonas syringae pv. alisalensis pv. nov., Proposed for the Causal Agent of Bacterial Blight of Broccoli and Broccoli Raab.

The etiology of three foliar bacterial diseases of crucifers and the relationships between their causal agents were evaluated. Data from LOPAT, carbon utilization tests, and fatty acid analysis indicated that bacterial blights of broccoli and broccoli raab, and leaf spot of broccolini, were caused by strains of Pseudomonas syringae. Data from phage sensitivity, ice nucleation, single carbon source utilization, Polymerase chain reaction using BOXA1R primer (BOX-PCR), and host range analyses were identical for the pathogen causing leaf spot of broccolini and P. syringae pv. maculicola. The broccoli raab and broccoli pathogens infected broccoli raab, all crucifers tested, tomato, and three monocots (California brome, oat, and common timothy). None of the other pathogens tested (P. syringae pv. maculicola, P. syringae pv. tomato, or P. syringae pv. coronafaciens) caused disease on broccoli raab or on both crucifers and monocots. Data from phage sensitivity, ice nucleation, single carbon source utilization, BOX-PCR, and host range analyses were identical for the pathogens from broccoli raab and broccoli, but were different from other pathovars tested, and supported the hypothesis that a new pathovar of P. syringae pv. alisalensis pv. nov. caused a leaf blight on broccoli and broccoli raab.

Effects of Rice Straw Management on Sclerotium oryzae Inoculum, Stem Rot Severity, and Yield of Rice in California.

Under continuous rice cropping, open field burning has been the primary means of rice residue disposal and of minimizing the carryover inoculum of Sclerotium oryzae, the cause of stem rot of rice. The phase down of open field burning in California has necessitated the development of alternatives to burning. In 1993, a continuous-year experiment was initiated in Colusa County to evaluate the effects of alternative residue management strategies on overwintering sclerotia of S. oryzae, stem rot incidence and severity, and yield. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with winter flooding and winter nonflooding as the main plots, and fall incorporation of the straw residue, rolling of the straw to enhance soil contact, baling and removal of residue, and fall burning as the subplots. S. oryzae inoculum and disease severity were significantly lower and yield was significantly higher in 5 out of 6 years in the winter-flooded main plots compared with the winter nonflooded plots. Over the duration of the trial, S. oryzae inoculum was consistently lower in burn subplots when compared with all other subplots. No consistent differences in disease incidence and severity or yield occurred in the subplots, although average yield over the 6 years was highest in burn subplots when compared with all other subplots. The results suggest that winter flooding is the best alternative to burning for stem rot management.

A New Bacterial Leaf Spot Disease of Broccolini, Caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovar maculicola, in California.

In 1998, a new disease was detected on 3-week-old commercial broccolini (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis × B. alboglabra) transplants in a Salinas Valley, Monterey County, CA greenhouse. Initial symptoms were small (2 to 4 mm diameter) circular to angular, water-soaked spots. As the disease progressed, spots remained relatively small, but turned tan to brown. When diseased tissues were macerated and streaked on King's medium B, a blue-green fluorescent pseudomonad was consistently isolated. Strains were levan positive, oxidase negative, and arginine dihydrolase negative. Strains did not rot potato slices, but induced a hypersensitive reaction on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. 'Turk'). Fatty acid methyl ester analysis (MIS-TSBA, version 4.10, MIDI Inc., Newark, DE) indicated that strains had a high similarity index (0.82 or higher) to Pseudomonas syringae, and GN (version 3.50, Biolog, Inc., Hayward, CA) profiles also identified strains as P. syringae. The bacterium associated with the disease, therefore, was identified as P. syringae van Hall. Pathogenicity was demonstrated by growing inoculum in nutrient broth shake cultures for 48 h, misting the broth cultures (1×106 CFU/ml) onto broccolini (cv. Aspabrock), and subjecting the plants to 48 h of high humidity. Control plants were misted with sterile nutrient broth. After 4 to 5 days in a greenhouse, leaf spot symptoms developed on all inoculated broccolini plants, and reisolated strains were characterized and found to be P. syringae. Control plants remained symptomless. The results of two sets of pathogenicity tests were the same. Repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction using the BOXA1R primer resulted in identical banding patterns for the broccolini pathogen and for known isolates of P. syringae pv. maculicola from crucifers. In host range testing, P. syringae pv. maculicolawas pathogenic to broccolini plants. The broccolini isolates and P. syringae pv. maculicola isolates had the same pathogenicity results when crucifers and tomatoes were tested as hosts; broccoli and cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis) were infected, and tomato results were variable. These tests suggest that the broccolini pathogen is the bacterial leaf spot pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola, that occurs on broccoli and cauliflower transplants (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of this pathogen causing a disease on commercially grown broccolini. Reference: (1) S. T. Koike et al. Plant Dis. 82:727, 1998.

Bacterial Blight, a New Disease of Broccoli Caused by Pseudomonas syringae in California.

In 1998 and 1999, a new disease was detected in commercial broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) grown in the Salinas Valley, Monterey County, CA. Initial symptoms consisted of large, water-soaked, dark green, angular leaf sections that were bordered by major leaf veins. Diseased areas were as large as 10 × 3 cm. As the disease developed, affected areas turned tan and papery, and leaf margins sometimes became tattered. The numerous small (<1 cm diameter), round to angular spots that also were present retained their size and did not develop into larger lesions. A blue-green fluorescing pseudomonad was consistently isolated from both types of lesions on King's medium B. Strains were levan positive, oxidase negative, and arginine dihydrolase negative. Strains did not rot potato slices but induced a hypersensitive reaction in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. 'Turk'). Fatty acid methyl ester analysis (MIS-TSBA version 4.10, MIDI, Inc., Newark, DE) indicated that the strains were highly similar (similarity ≥0.843) to Pseudomonas syringae. Biolog GN (version 3.50, Biolog, Inc., Hayward, CA) profiles also identified the strains as P. syringae. Therefore, the bacterium associated with the disease was identified as P. syringae. Pathogenicity of 13 strains was demonstrated by greenhouse tests. The strains were grown as nutrient broth shake cultures for 48 h at 24°C, diluted to 106 CFU/ml, and misted onto broccoli (cvs. Patriot and Titleist) and broccoli raab (B. rapa subsp. rapa cv. Spring). Control plants were misted with sterile nutrient broth. After 4 to 5 days in a greenhouse (24 to 26°C), large angular leaf lesions developed on all inoculated broccoli and broccoli raab plants. Strains were reisolated from symptomatic tissue and identified as P. syringae. Control plants remained symptomless. The results of two sets of pathogenicity tests were the same. Unlike most P. syringae strains, those isolated from broccoli were sensitive to a bacteriophage recovered from a P. syringae pathovar that infects broccoli raab. These results suggest that the broccoli pathogen may be related to the bacterial blight pathogen of broccoli raab (1). This is the first report of this pathogen causing a disease on commercially grown broccoli. Reference: (1) S. T. Koike et al. Plant Dis. 82:727, 1998.