Determination of bacterial blight disease reactions in different pea line (Pisum sativum L.)

Bacterial blight disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi leads to destructive damages on susceptible pea cultivars during cold, rainy and frozen weather conditions. Disease free seeds and resistant pea cultivars are primarily used to control the disease. In this study, reactions of 30 local pea lines to bacterial blight disease were examined. A suspension of three Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi strains were sprayed to pea seedlings and disease severity was evaluated by using a 0-5 scale. Cultivars of 'Karina' and 'Jof' were used as controls. Reactions of local pea lines to bacterial blight were investigated in pots and two individual field experiments conditions. As a result of the study, nine local pea lines and 'Karina' were sussceptible, eighteen local pea lines and 'Jof' were moderately susceptible, and three pea lines belonging to Konya province were less susceptible to bacterial blight disease. The study suggested that pea lines of Konya 153, Konya 154 and Konya 155 can be included into breeding programmes on improvement of disease resistant cultivars.