Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas syringae Pv. Atrofaciens causing bacterial basal glume rot disease on wheat seeds collected in Yozgat province

This study aimed to isolate and characterize Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens from seeds collected in wheat production areas of Yozgat province. Bacterial isolations from seed samples were performed on King B (KB) medium, and fluorescence-producing Pseudomonas spp. colonies were subjected to wheat seedling tests to determine their pathogenicity. Isolates causing symptoms on wheat leaves within 36–48 hours were classified as LOPAT group 1a (P. syringae) based on the results of LOPAT tests. The proteomic profiles of 17 isolates obtained using MALDI-TOF MS and the nucleotide sequences of the rpoD gene showed a high degree of similarity to the CFBP2213PT pathotype culture. Additionally, BOX-PCR fingerprinting analysis revealed two distinct band profiles among the isolates. All isolates were confirmed to exhibit pathogenic characteristics and demonstrated high concordance in biochemical and molecular tests. This study represents the first detailed investigation confirming the presence of P. syringae pv. atrofaciens in wheat production areas of Turkey.