Identification and prevalance of bacterial disease agents on greenhouse grown tomato plants in Erdemli district of Mersin province

Erdemli province is the second most important tomato production region of East Mediterranean with the production of 460.136 tonnes in 2015. Bacterial diseases are major biotic constraints to greenhouse grown tomato plants. This study was conducted to determine identification and incidence of bacterial disease agents on greenhouse grown tomato plants which were collected from 63 different greenhouses, located in Erdemli district of Mersin province. Using standart isolation method, total of 113 plant pathogenic bacterial isolates belonging to 5 different species were obtained from 43 different infected plant samples. Bacterial isolates were identified by using standart morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. New generation identification system, called as Matrix Associated Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight- Mass Spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS), was also employed for identification of the bacterial isolates. The occurrence and average percent incidence of bacterial species in infected samples tested revealed that bacterial speck disease agent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (17%), stem necrosis disease agents Pectobacterium caratovorum (6%) and Dickeya chrysanthemi (2%), pith necrosis disease agents Pseudomonas corrugata (4%) and Pseudomonas viridiflava (2%) were the most frequently isolated bacterial disease agents identified from infected samples, respectively. In addition to disease survey, farmer questionnaire was also performed for determination of major plant protection problems encountered in greenhouse grown tomato plants by the farmers. Information and leaflet about the major bacterial disease were delivered to the farmers.