Levantamento da intensidade da mancha-aquosa em Juazeiro(Bahia) e sobrevivência de Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli em meloeiro

Abstract

One of the main diseases occurring in melon fields in Brazilian Northeastern is the bacterial fruit blotch caused by the bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. This study aimed to survey the bacterial fruit blotch incidence in 12 melon planting areas in Juazeiro (BA), in two consecutive plantings, and determine the ability of A. avenae subsp. citrulli to survive epiphytically and endophytically on the leaves and roots, and also in the rhizosphere of melon by using a mutant resistant to rifampicin (Aac1Rif). The surveys were conducted to determine the disease incidence and prevalence in 12 commercial melon areas chosen randomly with plants at harvesting time. In each area 25 sub-plots with 100 m2 were marked and 20 fruits evaluated in a diagonal line. In the first survey performed in January 2004, the prevalence of bacterial blotch was 33.33% and there was low incidence in the four areas where the diseaseoccurred, ranging from 0.2 to 4.4%. In the second survey performed in the same areas in April 2004 the disease was not detected. For the survival study on leaves, melon plants with 18-day, grown in greenhouse and field, were sprayed with mutant suspensions at concentrations 3.4 x 102, 3.4 x 103 and 3.4 x 104 CFU mL-1. To determine survival on roots and rhizosphere, seeds of melon type Yellow were sown in soil infested with suspensions of Aac1Rif at 3.4 x 105, 3.4 x 106 and 3.4 x 107 CFU mL-1. At 6-day intervals samples of leaves, roots and rhizosphere soil were collected and processed for isolation on NYDA medium amended with refampicin. Bacterial populations were then determined as UFC g-1 of sample and the data were transformed to log10 for regression analysis. On melon leaves, in greenhouse and field Aac1Rifsurvived epiphytically for 54 days. These epiphytic bacterial populations increasedinitially and decreased after certain time. The final populations were similar in the two conditions and ranged from 103 to 104 CFU g-1 leaf. On the roots and rhizosphere in greenhouse bacterial populations decreased according to the inoculum concentration and at 60 days after planting ranged from 102 to 103 CFU g-1 roots and 101 to 102 CFU g-1 soil. AacRif was not detected as endophytic in leaves or roots of melon.