Plant-to-plant transmission of the bacterial ring rot pathogenClavibacter michiganensis subsp.sepedonicus

Summary Plant-to-plant transmission of the bacterial ring rot (BRR) pathogen,Clavibacter michiganensis subsp.sepedonicus (Spieck. et Kott.) Skapt. et Burkh. of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), was studied in field trials over a three year period. Healthy and infected seed tubers were planted 35 cm apart. In one treatment, a subsurface barrier was placed between the healthy and infected seed tubers separating the root systems of neighbouring plants. In this treatment, none of 216 plants grown from healthy seed tubers was infected at harvest, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence antibody staining (IFAS) with monoclonal antibodies. In the other treatment, no subsurface barrier was used. In this treatment, two of 368 plants (0.5%) grown from healthy seed tubers were infected at harvest. It is concluded that plant-to-plant transmission may occur but at very low frequency, and is unlikely to play a significant role compared with the potential of transmission by shared potato handling equipment.     

Effect of the ring rot pathogen and latent potato viruses on ring rot symptoms and yield of potatoes

The ring rot bacterium,Corynebacterium sepedonicum (Spieck. and Kotth.) Skapt. and Burkh., and latent potato viruses (potato virus S and potato virus X) were investigated for their effect on ring rot symptom development on potato plants in the greenhouse and on symptom development and yield of potatoes in the field. Both virus-free (VF) and virus-infected (VI) Red Pontiac stem cuttings root-inoculated with ring rot bacteria in the greenhouse developed typical (T) ring rot symptoms, and symptom severity did not differ between VF and VI plants. In a field study, both VF and VI Russet Burbank seed pieces knife-inoculated with ring rot bacteria produced plants with atypical (A) and T ring rot symptoms as well as a combination of both types. The data suggest that more A than T symptoms develop on VI plants and more T than A symptoms develop on VF plants. Combined infection with the ring rot pathogen and the latent potato viruses resulted in greater yield losses of total and marketable Russet Burbank tubers than infection with the bacterial or viral pathogens alone.     

Cultivar response to bacterial ring rot infection in Maine

An account of several years of testing cultivars for response to bacterial ring rot (BRR) infection is reported. Inoculum was prepared by grinding infected tuber tissue and adding distilled water to make a slurry. Seedpieces of cultivars to be tested were dipped in the slurry, planted and covered immediately in the field. Five hill plots were arranged in a RCB design with four replications and cultivars of known reaction to BRR were included as checks. Assessment of symptom expressions was begun when symptoms were first observed in any entry and repeated weekly for the remainder of the growing season. Results of tests on named cultivars and a few advanced, numbered selections are presented for the years 1983 through 1986.     

Current status and future prospects of bacterial ring rot testing

The bacterial ring rot disease of potato (Corynebacterium sepedonicum) can be detected in seed potato lots by serological tests with greater accuracy than by visual field inspections. Indexing tests can make use of highly specific immunofiuorescence probes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and perhaps other procedures. Sensitivity and specificity of these procedures need to be determined in order to estimate the confidence with which ring rot can be detected in a seed lot. In addition to the laboratory tests, the sampling strategy determines the efficacy and sensitivity of the indexing procedure. Samples might consist of stems, leaf petioles, or tubers in single or composite units. Disease incidence and number of plants sampled also determine the confidence level with which ring rot can be detected in a potato seed lot. Although research has been conducted on many aspects of ring rot testing procedures, further work needs to be done. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that indexing potato seed lots for the presence of ring rot will be a significant factor in control and eradication of the disease.     

Evaluation of flusulfamide for the control of bacterial ring rot of potato

The potential of flusulfamide (2’, 4-dichloro- α, α, α, trifluoro-4’-nitro-m-toluenesulfonanilide) as a control agent for bacterial ring rot of potato was evaluated by testing the bactericidal activity of this compound against the causal agent,Clavibacter michiganensis subsp.sepedonicus inin vitro tests, followed by greenhouse and field trials involving treatment of inoculated seed tubers. In thein vitro tests, significant reduction in the size and number ofC. m. sepedonicus colonies was observed with complete inhibition of growth occurring at flusulfamide concentrations of 100 mg/1 or greater. In the greenhouse and field trials, tubers of potato cultivar Russet Burbank were inoculated with the causal organism of bacterial ring rot,C. m. sepedonicus, in one of three different ways (cutting, dipping, injection) and subsequently treated by dipping in an aqueous solution containing varying concentrations of flusulfamide. The “dip” and “cut” methods of inoculation were intended to simulate transmission that would occur during normal production practices, while the “inject” treatment was intended to assess the effect of flusulfamide on existing infections. In both the greenhouse and field experiments, foliar disease incidence and infection rates were reduced, but not eliminated, in plants that were inoculated by cutting or dipping and treated with flusulfamide, whereas plants that had been inoculated by injection showed little effect of treatment with flusulfamide. Based on the results of these experiments, flusulfamide appears to have protective rather than curative properties againstClavibacter michiganensis subsp.sepedonicus.     

Reevaluation ofSolanum species accessions showing resistance to bacterial ring rot

One hundred and fifty-six plant accessions, including susceptible checks, from the IR-1 collection were evaluated for resistance/immunity to bacterial ring rot (BRR). Each accession selected had been previously rated as highly resistant to BRR based on symptom expression but, in our tests, 57 of them yielded no plants which failed to produce symptoms. However, the remaining 99, represented by a total of 2589 inoculated plants, yielded 1000 plants which failed to produce BRR symptoms after eight weeks. Immunofluorescent antibody stain testing showed that 679 of the symptomless plants supported detectable numbers ofCorynebacterium sepedonicum cells. Comparison of root-inoculated and tuber-inoculated accessions showed that root-inoculations yielded significantly fewer symptomless and bacterial cell-free plants. No significant differences were found in BRR reactions of fiveSolanum spp. when inoculated with two different strains ofC. sepedonicum. Appreciable numbers of symptomless plants were obtained from inoculated progeny of crosses with resistant cultivars but none of those retested proved to be immune.     

Evaluation of an agar immunodiffusion procedure for confirming bacterial ring rot diagnoses

Bacterial ring rot-infected tuber and stem tissue reacted withCorynebacterium sepedonicum antiserum in agar immunodiffusion (AID). The AID test was as effective as immunofluorescence (IF) in confirming ring rot in potato tubers submitted for diagnosis. Precipitin bands developed in AID with tuber preparations that contained, in a 1:10 dilution of the preparation, at least 100 IF positive cells/microscope field with a 100 X oil objective. Only a low percentage of preparations with less than 100 IF positive cells were positive with AID. Samples inoculated withC. sepedonicum strains which produced non-mucoid colony types on YGM medium did not consistently develop precipitin bands in AID which suggests that the usefulness of the test may be limited where non-mucoid strains occur naturally.     

Evaluation of immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies for detecting latent bacterial ring rot infections

Corynebacterium sepedonicum was detected in symptomless potato stems and tubers with immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies specific for the bacterial ring rot pathogen. The concentration of bacterial cells in potato tissue preparations ranged from >500 cells/microscope field to 1 cell per preparation. Symptomless tubers containing ring rot bacteria planted in field plots yielded plants with ring rot symptoms, plants with latent ring rot infections, or plants with no detectable levels of ring rot bacteria. Tubers with the greatest number of bacteria were most likely to develop plants expressing ring rot symptoms, but even some seed tubers with a low number of bacteria developed into plants with symptoms. Some seed tubers with high levels of ring rot bacteria produced plants with only low numbers ofC. sepedonicum.