First report of Xanthomonas fragariae in Taiwan
Since 2017, symptoms resembling those caused by Xanthomonas fragariae (EPPO A2 List) have been observed in several strawberry cultivars (e.g. Fragaria ananassa cvs. ‘Taoyuan No. 1’ and ‘Xiang-Shui’) in Taiwan. Early symptoms were angular, water-soaked lesions on the abaxial leaf surface, and later, reddish-brown irregular spots and coalesced lesions developed on the adaxial surface. In humid conditions, sticky bacterial ooze exuding from lesions was observed. Laboratory analysis (isolation, PCR, sequencing, pathogenicity tests) confirmed the identity of the bacterium. This is the first time that X. fragariae is reported from Taiwan. It is noted that in some parts of the island, severe outbreaks of the disease have been observed and that management strategies will be needed to prevent any further spread and economic losses.
The situation of Xanthomonas fragariae in Taiwan can be described as follows: Present, restricted distribution.
Sources
Wu HY, Lai QJ, Wu YM, Chung CL, Chung PC, Lin NC (2021) First report of Xanthomonas fragariae causing angular leaf spot on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in Taiwan. Plant Disease 105(4), p 1187. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-20-1631-PDN