Status of Bacterial Leaf Spot Disease of Anthurium in Trinidad and Characterization of Native Isolates of the Causal Organism, Acidovorax anthurii

Abstract

Bacterial leaf spot disease (BLS) of anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum Linden ex André), caused by Acidovorax anthurii has contributed to the decline of the anthurium industry in Trinidad along with bacterial blight disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae. This study investigated the status of BLS 12 years after its first discovery in 10 commercial anthurium farms located in nine geographically isolated areas in Trinidad. The disease was prevalent in only four farms located in Arima, Carapo, Brazil, and Grand Couva, and was a problem only in the wet season. Severity of BLS showed a strong association with prevalence of BLS (r = 0.92; P < 0.01) and rainfall (r = 0.64; P < 0.05). Cultivar differences in susceptibility to BLS were manifested as variation in the severity of foliar symptoms in adult plants and as frequency of systemic infection and plant death in juvenile plants. The native A. anthurii isolates showed morphophysiological and biochemical properties similar to isolates reported from the French West Indies, but with some differences. Native isolates did not grow at 41 °C or produce acid from arabinose, although some isolates produced acid from sucrose and mannitol. Two isolates were negative for urease activity, and one isolate did not elicit a hypersensitive reaction on the tobacco variety, ‘Samsun NN’. The native A. anthurii isolates were positive for Tween 80 hydrolysis, negative for acid production from potassium tartrate, and variable for production of acid from ethanol. There were significant differences between isolate colony diameters on minimal media, potassium tartrate, mannitol, ethanol, and glycerol. However, growth in minimal media amended with glycerol produced the largest colony diameters (mean of 8.6 mm). Although there were differences (P < 0.001) between the native isolates with respect to aggressiveness, significant cultivar × isolate interaction was not observed. Isolates collected from different geographical regions did not differ in aggressiveness. These results show that there is greater variation in morphophysiology of A. anthurii isolates than previously reported.