Soft rot of tubers and stem base of calla in Serbia

Abstract

During the spring of 2006, we observed a decay of calla plants grown in plastic houses in two locations in Serbia. A soft rot type of symptoms indicated possible bacterial etiology of the disease. After microscopic examination of the diseased tissue we carried out a procedure for isolation of phytopathogenic bacteria from above and under- ground plant parts. The symptoms of natural infection were reproduced by testing the pathogenicity of the bacterial strains associated with the diseased calla plants. Based on results of bacteriological tests Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum was identified as a causal agent of calla tuber and stem base in Serbia.

U proleće 2006. godine uočena je pojava masovnog izumiranja biljaka kale, gajenih u plastenicima u dva lokaliteta u Srbiji. Tip promena na obolelim biljkama ukazivao je na moguću bakterioznu prirodu oboljenja. Nakon mikroskopskog pregleda obolelog tkiva, fragmenti podzemnih i nadzemnih delova su obrađeni postupkom za izolaciju fitopatogenih bakterija. Proverom patogenosti izolovanih sojeva reprodukovani su simptomi prirodne infekcije. Rezultati proučavanja bakterioloških karakteristika ukazuju da vlažnu trulež korena i prizemnog dela biljaka kale prouzrokuje bakterija Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.