Contamination of pathogen-free seed potato stocks by Erwinia carotovora during multiplication: results of a six-year monitoring study
1980
Perombelon, M.C.M. | Lowe, R. (Scottish Crop Research Inst., Invergowrie, Dundee, Scotland (UK)) | Quinn, C.E. | Sells, I.A.
Recontamination by Erwinia carotovora of seed potato stocks (VT) derived from stem cuttings in the process of multiplication was monitored on four farms in the east of Scotland from 1973 to 1978. Randomly selected VT stocks of different ages from a wider range of farms were also examined. The results showed that although contamination can occur early during stock multiplication there was, in general, no stepwise increase in contamination level from one generation to the next. However, contamination tended to be greater after the third multiplication year when stocks are grown by conventional methods used for lower-grade seed stocks. It is notable that contamination was consistently high on some farms and low on others. Contamination by E. carotovora var. carotovora tended to be greater than by E. carotovora var. atroseptica. These results may be explained by the farm practices of individual growers, soil moisture status and aerial transmission of the bacteria. The results also indicate that contamination of some potato stocks derived from stem cuttings could be maintained at a low level over several generations more readily on some farms than on others.
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