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Secondary spread of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in nurseries and the conditions leading to infection of tomato seedlings

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Frenkel, O., Borenstein, M., Shulhani, R., Sharabani, G., Sofer, M., Abu-Moch, F., Lofthouse, M., Manulis-Sasson, S., and Shtienberg, D. 2015 Secondary spread of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in nurseries and the conditions leading to infection of tomato seedlings. European Journal of Plant Pathology XX:XXX-XXX. Infected seedlings are one of the most important primary sources of inoculum of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), the causal agent of bacterial canker and wilt of tomatoes, in commercial production plots. In this study we tested the hypothesis that a low number of infected source seedlings may give rise to a large number of infected seedlings in the nursery even when careful measures are taken. It was found that the pathogen dispersed spatially from root-inoculated source seedlings and colonized the leaf surfaces of surrounding seedlings to distances of 65–75 cm. A sub-irrigation system reduced, but did not prevent, Cmm dispersal. Infections by epiphytic Cmm populations can occurred under a wide range of temperature conditions, seedling ages and foliar wetness periods. The results emphasize the need to minimize the primary infectious sources as well as developing new strategies to reduce the dispersal during the nursery stage.

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Acknowledgments

The research was part of the Khosen Clavibacter Project financed by the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and by the Israeli Council of Vegetable Growers. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of H. Alon, D. Tzohar, M. Broner and E. Kenig of the Negev R&D Center for their valuable technical assistance. We would also like to thank the Hishtil and Shorashim nurseries for providing the tomato seedlings. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel, No: 549/15

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agriculture Research Organization, Volcani Center, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250, Israel

    O. Frenkel, M. Bornestein, R. Shulhani, G. Sharabani, F. Abo-Moch, S. Manulis-Sasson & D. Shtienberg

  2. Negev R&D Center, DN Negev, 85400, Israel

    M. Sofer & M. Lofthouse

Authors
  1. O. Frenkel
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  2. M. Bornestein
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  3. R. Shulhani
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  4. G. Sharabani
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  5. M. Sofer
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  6. F. Abo-Moch
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  7. M. Lofthouse
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  8. S. Manulis-Sasson
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  9. D. Shtienberg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Frenkel.

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Supplemental materials S1

Scheme of one experimental unit in the Negev R&D center used for evaluating the secondary spread of Cmm from systemically infected source seedlings. Each experimental unit consisted of 12 growth trays (33 × 66 cm, each), each with 136 cells. One tomato seedling was grown in each cell (circles). Seedlings of cv. 1125 were placed in 14 pre-designated ‘islands’. The 12 seedlings located in the center (black circles) were artificially root-inoculated and served as the infected source-point seedlings. The other 13 islands were located at distances of 0–5 (black thick line), 10–20, 35–45 and 65–75 cm (gray circles) from the source seedlings; these were the trap-seedlings. The other cells of the growth trays were planted with seedlings of a processing tomato, cv. 5585 (open circles). (PPT 3357 kb)

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Frenkel, O., Bornestein, M., Shulhani, R. et al. Secondary spread of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in nurseries and the conditions leading to infection of tomato seedlings. Eur J Plant Pathol 144, 569–579 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-015-0795-4

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