Surveys on potato bacteria in Karelia and Arkangelsk, Northern Russia
In Northern Russia, surveys of potato bacteria, Ralstonia solanacearum and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus (both EPPO A2 List), were conducted in the Republic of Karelia (from 2011 to 2013) and in the region of Arkangelsk (from 2012 to 2013). In both Karelia and Arkangelsk, R. solanacearum was not detected but C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus was confirmed in several districts. In Karelia, the largest amounts of infected tubers were detected in potato lots from Sortavala and Olonets regions which are located in the Southern part of Karelia. The bacterium was not detected in samples from Segezha and Pudozh regions (northern part of Karelia). In Arkangelsk, C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus was detected in all surveyed districts and was most frequently found in samples from Shenkursk, Kotlas, Verkhnya Toima, Velsk, Plesetsk, Primorsky and Kargopol districts. During these surveys, no disease symptoms were observed (i.e. all tested potato tubers were latently infected). Considering the importance of latent infections, an information campaign will be launched to inform potato growers about the risks of moving potentially infected potato material.
Sources
Zinnikov DF, Sinkevich OV (2015) Ring rot of potato is a hidden threat to harvest. Plant Health. Research and Practice 3(13), 9-11.