Bacterial ring rot of potato caused by Clavibacter sepedonicus: A successful example of defeating the enemy under international regulations

Ebrahim Osdaghi; Jan M van der Wolf; Hamid Abachi; Xiang Li; Solke H De Boer; Carol A Ishimaru

doi:10.1111/mpp.13191

Bacterial ring rot of potato caused by Clavibacter sepedonicus: A successful example of defeating the enemy under international regulations

Mol Plant Pathol. 2022 Jul;23(7):911-932. doi: 10.1111/mpp.13191. Epub 2022 Feb 10.

Authors

Ebrahim Osdaghi¹, Jan M van der Wolf², Hamid Abachi¹, Xiang Li³, Solke H De Boer³, Carol A Ishimaru⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
² Business Unit Biointeractions and Plant Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.
³ Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Charlottetown Laboratory, Charlottetown, PE, Canada.
⁴ Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA.

Abstract

Background: Bacterial ring rot of potato (Solanum tuberosum) caused by the gram-positive coryneform bacterium Clavibacter sepedonicus is an important quarantine disease threatening the potato industry around the globe. Since its original description in 1906 in Germany, management of ring rot has been a major problem due to the seedborne nature (via seed tubers not true seeds) of the pathogen allowing the bacterium to be transmitted long distances via infected tubers.

Disease symptoms: On growing potato plants: interveinal chlorosis on leaflets leading to necrotic areas and systemic wilt. On infected tubers: vascular tissues become yellowish brown with a cheesy texture due to bacterial colonization and decay.

Host range: Potato is the main host of the pathogen, but natural infection also occurs on eggplant, tomato, and sugar beet.

Taxonomic status of the pathogen: Class: Actinobacteria; Order: Actinomycetales; Family: Microbacteriaceae; Genus: Clavibacter; Species: Clavibacter sepedonicus (Spieckermann and Kotthoff 1914) Li et al. 2018.

Synonyms (nonpreferred scientific names): Aplanobacter sepedonicus; Bacterium sepedonicum; Corynebacterium sepedonicum; Corynebacterium michiganense pv. sepedonicum; Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus.

Microbiological properties: Gram-positive, club-shaped cells with creamy to yellowish-cream colonies for which the optimal growth temperature is 20-23°C.

Distribution: Asia (China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, the Asian part of Russia), Europe (Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, European part of Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine), and North America (Canada, Mexico, USA).

Phytosanitary categorization: CORBSE: EPPO A2 list no. 51. EU; Annex designation I/A2.

Keywords: Microbacteriaceae; Solanum tuberosum; Solanaceae; actinobacteria; coryneform bacteria; quarantine pathogen.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Actinomycetales*
Clavibacter
Plant Tubers
Solanum tuberosum* / microbiology

Supplementary concepts

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus