Identification and disease incidence of bacterial canker on stone fruits in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Turkey

In recent years, stone fruit plantations have been widely increased in the eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. In 2012, bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae were first observed in the region. In 2014 among February to May, stone fruit orchards in Adana, Mersin and Hatay provinces were surveyed in order to determine the disease incidence. From 68 individual orchards, 25, 8 and 35 stone fruit orchards were surveyed in Adana, Mersin and Hatay provinces, respectively. No disease symptoms were observed in Adana and Mersin orchards. Despite that the occurrence of bacterial canker was determined in Hatay county in three individual apricot ('Ninfa') and one plum growing orchard. Disease incidence approached 20, 25 and 30% in three apricot orchards and 5% in plum orchard. Black, sunken lesions on apricot and plum fruits, chlorosis and necrotic lesions on leaf tissue were observed on symptomatic plants. Due to isolations from symptomatic fruits, 15 and 5 putative strains from apricot and plum, respectively, were isolated. All strains were identified as Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae by pathogenicity (immature peach and lemon fruits), LOPAT (Group Ia) and GATTa tests. In this study, the disease incidence of bacterial canker on apricot and plum trees and the occurrence of the disease on plum were first determined in the eastern Mediterranean region. Disease reactions on apricot ('Ninfa', 'Magador' and 'Colorado') and plum ('Black Diamond', 'Black Amber' and 'Black Beauty') cultivars growing in the region is still running