Volatile monitoring as a technique for differentiating betweenE. carotovora andC. sepedonicum infections in stored potatoes

The volatile production characteristics of ring rot (Corynebacterium sepedonicum) and soft rot (Erwinia carotovora) infected potatoes were investigated under controlled conditions in order to assess the monitoring of volatiles as a technique for differentiating between the infections in stored potatoes. Total volatile production/unit time was much greater from soft rot due to more rapid development after infection. Total volatile production during the period required for the development of the soft rot infection was similar to the output detected during the longer period required for the development of the ring rot infection. The volatile profiles of the two pathogens featured a number of commonly shared metabolites, but one compound was unique to the ring rot infections and two compounds were unique to the soft rot infections. There were also consistent disease-specific changes in the relative concentration of many of the metabolites detected in the volatile profiles.