Bacterial diseases of potatoes in the major potato-growing areas in Turkey1

In 1988 and 1989 bacterial diseases of potatoes in Central Anatolia were investigated by utilizing the EC method for the detection of ring-rot bacterium (Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus) and using selective medium. 91 samples containing 200 tubers from commercial and farmers’ stores in Central Anatolia were tested for the presence of C.m.sepedonicus and about 50 tubers of each sample were also tested for the presence of soft-rot erwinias. Five different bacteria that cross-reacted with C.m.spedonicus antisera were isolated from heel-end extracts. All cross-reacted bacteria differed from C.m.sepedonicus morphologically and none of them was pathogenic on eggplant. C.m. sepedonicus was not detected, but Erwinia carotouora ssp. carotouora and Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica were present in 7 and 17% of the samples respectively.