New bacterial threats to crops

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New threats to plants in 2024

The Institute of Plant Protection, through the Pest Signaling Platform, informs about the increased threat to crops from diseases caused by bacteria (bacteriosis). In 2024, in the provinces of Wielkopolska, Lower Silesia and Podkarpackie, an expansion of the range of hosts for a number of pathogenic bacteria was noted.

The presence of the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was detected in soybeans and peas, which previously attacked other species, such as corn, buckwheat, sorghum or cellulase. The bacterium causes a disease – bacterial leaf blight and vascular wilt of corn and sorghum. It manifests itself through the formation of spots on the leaves that resemble burning or drying, which reduces the assimilation surface. In addition, the bacterium Pantoea ananatis was identified for the first time on soybeans, which previously attacked corn, causing bacterial leaf spot of corn (symptom: small, light "spots" on the surface of the leaves) and bacterial stem rot of corn (symptom: stunting of plants, vertical cracks on the stems).

In a sense, soy and corn have "swapped" pathogens, because in 2024, it was found that a bacterium that previously attacked soy appeared on corn plants. This is Kosakonia cowanii , which causes a disease that was discovered relatively recently, causing the formation of brown spots with a chlorotic border, which can expand into extensive necrosis over time.

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Conditions favor the expansion of bacteria

As we read in a statement on the Pest Signaling Platform, the problem of bacterial diseases in new crops may become more severe:

Due to the warming climate, in conditions of increased humidity, there is an increasing risk of changing the host range of various species of plant pathogenic bacteria. Some bacteria, which are normally harmless, can become pathogens in favorable environmental conditions, leading to yield losses. In recent years, bacterial plant pathogens have been detected on more and more new host plants. So far, these have been only cases of single disease outbreaks, however, in the constantly warming climate and conditions of increased humidity, the possibility of changing the host range of many species of plant pathogenic bacteria should be taken into account.

Many pathogenic bacteria are characterized by great adaptability and high genetic variability, which facilitates their expansion. Bacteriose diseases often produce non-specific symptoms and are difficult to diagnose unequivocally. Among the measures to prevent the spread of bacterial pathogens are: regular crop inspections and early detection, as well as diverse crop rotation.