Beet vascular necrosis

Beet vascular necrosis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Pseudomonadota
Class: Gammaproteobacteria
Order: Enterobacterales
Family: Pectobacteriaceae
Genus: Pectobacterium
Species:
P. carotovorum
Subspecies:
P. c. subsp. betavasculorum
Trinomial name
Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. betavasculorum
(Thomson et al. 1984) Hauben et al. 1999
Synonyms
  • Erwinia carotovora subsp. betavasculorum
  • Pectobacterium betavasculorum
A table beet infected with Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. betavasculorum. Note the rings of black vascular tissue colonized by the rotting bacteria.

Beet vascular necrosis and rot is a soft rot disease caused by the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. betavasculorum, which has also been known as Pectobacterium betavasculorum and Erwinia carotovora subsp. betavasculorum.[1] It was classified in the genus Erwinia until genetic evidence suggested that it belongs to its own group;[2] however, the name Erwinia is still in use. As such, the disease is sometimes called Erwinia rot today. It is a very destructive disease that has been reported across the United States as well as in Egypt. Symptoms include wilting and black streaks on the leaves and petioles. It is usually not fatal to the plant, but in severe cases the beets will become hollowed and unmarketable. The bacteria is a generalist species which rots beets and other plants by secreting digestive enzymes that break down the cell wall and parenchyma tissues.[3] The bacteria thrive in warm and wet conditions, but cannot survive long in fallow soil.[4][5] However, it is able to persist for long periods of time in the rhizosphere of weeds and non-host crops.[4][6] While it is difficult to eradicate, there are cultural practices that can be used to control the spread of the disease, such as avoiding injury to the plants and reducing or eliminating application of nitrogen fertilizer.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Compendium2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Dye, DW (1969). "A taxonomic study of the genus Erwinia. II. The "carotovora" group". New Zealand Journal of Science. 12: 81–97.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ecology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Compendium was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DescriptionEtiology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ch11Handbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).