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The association ofErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica andErwinia carotovora var.carotovora with insects in Colorado

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Abstract

Ten genera from 9 families of dipterous insects collected in the field in the San Luis Valley of Colorado were contaminated withErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica (Eca) andErwinia carotovora var.carotovora (Ecc).Erwinia-contaminated insects were collected from settling ponds near potato warehouses, potato cull piles on growers’ farms, municipal dumps, lettuce and potato fields. The percentage of contaminated insects reached 14.5% in early spring but decreased as the season progressed. Insects were more commonly contaminated withEca thanEcc early in the season. Later the proportion of contamination byEcc increased while that ofEca decreased. We suggest that insects may play a potentially important role in the epidemiology of potato blackleg especially in the reintroduction ofErwinia intoErwiniafree potato fields.

Resumen

Insectos dípteros de 10 géneros agrupados en 9 familias colectados en el campo en el Valle San Luis de Colorado se encontraban contaminados conErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica (Eca) y E. carotovora var.carotovora (Ecc). Se colectó insectos contaminados conErwinia de lagunas de sedimentación cerca de almacenes de papa, pilas de papa desechada en chacras, depósitos municipales para basura y de campos de lechuga y papa. El porcentaje de insectos contaminados alcanzó el 14.5% durante el inicio de primavera pero fue decayendo con el progreso de la temporada. La contaminación de insectos fue mas frecuente conEca que conEcc durante los inicios de la temporada. Mas tarde la proporción de contaminación conEcc aumentó mientras la deEca se redujo. Sugerimos que los insectos pueden jugar un papel potencialmente importante en la epidemiología de la pierna negra de la papa especialmente en lo referente a la reintroducción deErwinia a campos de papa libres deErwinia.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. J. W. Kloepper

    Present address: Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany and Plant Pathology, Colorado State University, USA

    M. D. Harrison & J. W. Brewer (Professor and Associate Professor)

  2. Zoology/Entomology, Colorado State University, USA

    J. W. Brewer (Professor and Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. J. W. Kloepper
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  2. M. D. Harrison
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  3. J. W. Brewer
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Additional information

Published with the approval of the Director, Colorado State University Experiment Station as Scientific Journal Series Paper Number 2412.

Formerly graduate research assistant, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Colorado State University.

This work was supported with funds provided by a CSRS Research Grant.

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Kloepper, J.W., Harrison, M.D. & Brewer, J.W. The association ofErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica andErwinia carotovora var.carotovora with insects in Colorado. American Potato Journal 56, 351–361 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853850

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853850

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