Variabilidade e ecologia de Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, agente da podridão-mole em couve-chinesa

Abstract

Yield of Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinnensis) may be limited by the occurrence of soft rot caused by pectinolytic bacteria. In this study 39 isolates of bacteria causing soft rot in Chinese cabbage obtained from planting areas of Camocim de São Félix, in Pernambuco State, were identified and characterized as Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) based upon biochemical tests confirmed by PCR. The variability of these isolates was evaluated through disease epidemiological components, sensitivity to antibiotics and molecular markers. The isolates were distributed in similarity groups considering 50% of the total linkage distance by the UPGMA method. Based on epidemiological components incubation period (PI), initial severity (SEVI), final severity (SEVF) and area under the disease curve progress the 39 isolates were distributed in six similarity groups. Among the epidemiological components significant Piersoncorrelation (P≤0.05) was only found for PI and SEVI (r = -0.57). Based on sensitivity to 12 antibiotics, the Pcc were distributed in 14 groups. There were significant correlations between sensitivity to gentamicin and PI (r = -0.41), as well as between sensitivity to clindamicin and SEVF (r = -0.45). The molecular markers REP, ERIC and BOX used in Rep-PCR revealed high genetic variability among the 39 isolates since 32 similarity groups were formed. No significant correlations were found among the linkage distances registered by molecular markers and the disease epidemiological components. In a second study it was evaluated soil influence on Pcc rifampicin resistant mutant (Pcc127Rif). The extinction rate of population was calculated (TEP) and ranged from 0.0547 to 0.6327 log (CFU)/d. Six soils showed suppressiveness to Pcc127Rif while five presented conducivity. The soil groupsbased on the TEP of Pcc127Rif did not correlate with municipalities, types of vegetation cover at the sampling time or soil textural classes. Considering all soils there were no significant correlations (P≤0,05) among TEP of Pcc127Rif and chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics of soils. Considering the six more suppressive soils the TEP of Pcc127Rif significantly correlated with soil apparent density (r = 0.76), total bacterium population (r = 0.82) and Bacillus spp. (r = 0.80). The Bacillus spp. population correlated with apparent density, but not with total bacterium population. Considering the five more conducive soils there was correlation between TEP of Pcc127Rif and Bacillus spp. population (r = -0.86). The high variability among Pcc isolates points out to the necessity of great attention in studies covering identification, detection, epidemiology and control of soft rot in Pernambuco. The elevated correlation between suppressiveness of some soils to P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and total bacteria and Bacillus spp. populations is relevant to effective implementation of soft rot management strategies