First report of Erwinia amylovora in Belarus
Until 2007, fireblight was not known to occur in Belarus, although it was present in neighbouring countries (i.e. Latvia, Poland). In 2007, samples were collected from pear (Pyrus communis) and apple (Malus domestica) trees showing symptoms of fireblight in the region of Minsk. During these studies, six bacterial isolates were identified (PCR, SDS-PAGE analysis, pathogenicity tests) as Erwinia amylovora (EPPO A2 List). The authors concluded that these findings showed the need to revise plant management and quarantine measures against E. amylovora in Belarus.
The situation of Erwinia amylovora in Belarus can be described as follows: Present, first detected in 2007 on a limited number of samples collected from the Minsk region.
Sources
Lagonenko AL, Komardina VS, Nikolaichik YA, Evtushenkov AN (2008) First report of Erwinia amylovora fireblight in Belarus. Journal of Phytopathology, 156(10), 638-640.