Assessment of Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp. on potatoes and ornamentals (Dickeya)

Pectinolytic bacteria, namely the genera Pectobacterium and Dickeya, are economically important pathogens causing potato blackleg and potato soft rot in different European countries. Main aim of this EUPHRESCO-II project was to monitor the emergence and incidence of Dickeya and Pectobacterium in the potato production system (plants and tubers) as well as in ornamentals in different countries. More specifically, the presence of different (new variants) of Dickeya and Pectobacterium species was evaluated, in particular Dickeya solani, Pectobacterium wasabiae and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliense, as well as their dissemination pathways to clean potato lots. We need to better understand the spread of different (new variants) of Dickeya and Pectobacterium species in the environment, across stocks and through generations. In order to achieve this, we need to better understand the pathogens involved and, therefore, improvements to taxonomy and diagnostics have been very important as well as measuring strain type and movement in a field situation. This EUPHRESCO-II project also includes the comparison of the virulence of Dickeya species, among them D. solani and D. dianthicola in the potato environment. Additionally, the characterisation of Pectobacterium atrosepticum isolates based on a MLSA approach on 8 housekeeping genes has been studied in Scotland