Soft rot Pectobacteriaceae: A Brief Overview

Bacterial soft rot diseases devastate a wide range of crops, vegetables and ornamental plants worldwide. Amongst the most damaging agents of these diseases are members of the Pectobacterium and Dickeya genera belonging to the family Pectobacteriaceae in the order Enterobacterales. As an introduction to the topics of this book, this chapter presents a brief overview on taxonomy history, presence in multiple environments, disease characteristics, population dynamics, management and economic impact of these bacteria