ISOLATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES FOR THE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SOME SEED-BORNE PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

Abstract

A strain-specific and polyvirulent phage for Pseudomonas pisi Sackett have been isolated from peas. The latter phage lyses also strains of P. glycinea Coerper, P. lachrymans (Smith and Bryan) Carsner, and P. phaseolicola (Burk-holder) Dowson. The polyvirulent phage has been used successfully in detecting the presence of bacterial blight (P. pisi) in pea seed and plant tissue from infected fields. Specific phages for P. atrofaciens (McCullouch) Stevens and P. coronafaciens (Elliott) Stapp have been obtained, respectively, from wheat and oat seeds. Phages specific for Xanthomonas translucens f. sp. hordei, secalis, and hordei-avenae were isolated from barley and oat seed. Attempts to isolate viruses for X. translucens f. sp. cerealis and undulosa were not successful.