Articles
THE DISTRIBUTION AND HOST RANGE OF THE FIRST SERIOUS OUTBREAK OF FIRE BLIGHT IN LEBANON
Article number
489_7
Pages
65 – 70
Language
Abstract
The fire blight disease, caused by Erwinia amylovora (Burr.) Winsl. et al., was detected for the first time in Lebanon in 1988 on pear collected from the NE part of the country.
Since then, the disease was also observed on other pome fruits and in some other parts of Lebanon.
Disease incidence was sporadic and resulting crop damages were of low economic significance.
In 1998 the first serious outbreak of the disease, expressed mainly as blossom and shoot blight, occurred in many pome fruit growing areas.
A systematic survey was conducted to study the distribution and host range of the disease.
Disease specimens were collected from the different host species affected and the various localities surveyed.
Isolates of E. amylovora were identified by morphological, physiological and pathogenecity tests and maintained for further biochemical and molecular comparisons.
The disease was found to be widely distributed throughout the pome fruit growing areas in Lebanon.
The host range included: Wild pear species, Pyrus syriaca Boiss. and P. bovei Steud. both susceptible; cultivated pear, Pyrus communis, cultivars Bartlett, California, Passe Crassane and Miskawi highly susceptible, Duchesse D’angouleme susceptible, Chatawi moderately susceptible, Coscia, Louise Bonne and Santa Maria of low susceptibility; quince, Cydonia oblonga, highly susceptible; apple cultivars Akane, Gloster 69, El Moufti, Redwinter and Sans Pareille highly susceptible, Idared susceptible, Jonagold and Mondial Gala moderately susceptible, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith of low susceptibility, and all Red Delicious sports resistant; and hawthorn, Crataegus azarolus L., susceptible.
Analysis of weather data for 1996, 1997 and 1998 revealed favorable conditions in 1997 and 1998 for disease onset and development during the bloom periods which contributed to the occurrence of the fire blight outbreak in 1998. Such weather conditions did not occur in 1996.
Since then, the disease was also observed on other pome fruits and in some other parts of Lebanon.
Disease incidence was sporadic and resulting crop damages were of low economic significance.
In 1998 the first serious outbreak of the disease, expressed mainly as blossom and shoot blight, occurred in many pome fruit growing areas.
A systematic survey was conducted to study the distribution and host range of the disease.
Disease specimens were collected from the different host species affected and the various localities surveyed.
Isolates of E. amylovora were identified by morphological, physiological and pathogenecity tests and maintained for further biochemical and molecular comparisons.
The disease was found to be widely distributed throughout the pome fruit growing areas in Lebanon.
The host range included: Wild pear species, Pyrus syriaca Boiss. and P. bovei Steud. both susceptible; cultivated pear, Pyrus communis, cultivars Bartlett, California, Passe Crassane and Miskawi highly susceptible, Duchesse D’angouleme susceptible, Chatawi moderately susceptible, Coscia, Louise Bonne and Santa Maria of low susceptibility; quince, Cydonia oblonga, highly susceptible; apple cultivars Akane, Gloster 69, El Moufti, Redwinter and Sans Pareille highly susceptible, Idared susceptible, Jonagold and Mondial Gala moderately susceptible, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith of low susceptibility, and all Red Delicious sports resistant; and hawthorn, Crataegus azarolus L., susceptible.
Analysis of weather data for 1996, 1997 and 1998 revealed favorable conditions in 1997 and 1998 for disease onset and development during the bloom periods which contributed to the occurrence of the fire blight outbreak in 1998. Such weather conditions did not occur in 1996.
Publication
Authors
A.T. Saad, L. Hanna, O.J. Asly, E. Choueiri
Keywords
Erwinia amylovora, apple, pear, quince, hawthorn, Pyrus syriaca
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