First report of Acidovorax citrulli in Serbia
During August 2014, fruit blotch symptoms were observed on mature fruits of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in a 3 ha-field in the Bačka region (Vojvodina province) in Serbia. Disease symptoms on the fruit started as water-soaked lesions with irregular margins that rapidly enlarged, with brown discolouration and brown cracks on surface. In the mesocarp of the fruit underneath the lesions, water-soaked spots appeared, followed by a watery flesh rot. Samples were collected from diseased fruit and tested in the laboratory (physiological, biochemical and pathogenicity tests, PCR). Results confirmed the presence of Acidovorax citrulli (EPPO A1 List). This is the first time that A. citrulli causing bacterial fruit blotch on watermelon is reported from Serbia.
The situation of Acidovorax citrulli in Serbia can be described as follows: Present, first found in 2014 in 1 production site (Bačka region).
Sources
Popović T, Ivanović Ž (2015) Occurrence of Acidovorax citrulli causing Bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon in Serbia. Plant Disease (in press). http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-12-14-1276-PDN