An Outbreak of a Leaf Spot Disease of Cabbage in Southern Florida Caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. armoraciae.

Abstract

From October to December 2001, a leaf spot disease was observed in numerous commercial fields of red and green cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) in the Everglades Agricultural Area, south and east of Lake Okeechobee and in the environs of Immokalee in southwestern Florida. Discrete water-soaked to greasy appearing spots were observed in the leaf blades with no evidence of marginal V-shaped lesions characteristic of black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Profuse bacterial streaming was observed when cut leaf sections were examined microscopically. A bacterium that formed yellow colonies on nutrient agar was consistently isolated from these lesions. Ten bacteria were isolated, purified, and characterized. All strains were aerobic, gram-negative rods. Strains were positive for esculin hydrolysis, proteolysis in litmus milk, and gelatin liquefaction. Strains were negative for urease production, nitrate reduction, oxidase, and utilization of asparagine as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis indicated a match with Florida library strains of X. campestris pv. raphani (similarity indices 0.605-0.738). Suspensions (2 × 107 CFU/ml in phosphate-buffered saline) of two Oklahoma strains identified as X. campestris pv. armoraciae provided by J. P. Damicone (3) and four representative Florida strains were applied to plants using a hand-held sprayer. Pathogenicity of the strains was tested on three replicate greenhouse-grown plants of the following: green cabbage cv. Market Early; red cabbage cv. Salad Delight; radish cv. Red Silk; tomato cv. Sunny; sweet bell pepper cv. Jupiter; and fresh horseradish roots purchased from a retail grocery chain. A strain of X. campestris pv. campestris originally isolated from Homestead, FL was also included in pathogenicity tests. All Florida and Oklahoma strains produced leaf spots, but no V-shaped lesions, on leaves of green cabbage, red cabbage, radish, tomato, and horseradish. Typical black rot symptoms were observed only in radish and green and red cabbage inoculated with the X. campestris pv. campestris strain. On the basis of these results, we identify the Florida strains as X. campestris pv. armoraciae (1,2,3), recognizing the precedent of X. campestris pv. armoraciae over X. campestris pv. raphani based on extensive genetic and serological data (1). Our strains appear to be more similar to those causing outbreaks on crucifers in Oklahoma (3) than those in Ohio (2), because Florida strains were pathogenic on tomato.