Diseases

Bacterial Blight of Pea

Pisum sativum L.

Bacterial blight of pea, caused by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi, manifests as water-soaked spots with an oily halo on all aerial plant organs. The disease affects leaves, stems, and pods, often leading to necrosis, wilting of the tips, and the formation of bacterial exudate.

In the reference 14 varieties crop Pea, where this is mentioned in the description.

The causal agent of bacterial blight is the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi, for which seven physiological races have been described. A less specialized species, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, may also be involved in pathogenesis. The infection spreads to all above-ground parts of the plant, causing the appearance of small water-soaked spots that transform into olive-brown necroses with a waxy halo, restricted by leaf veins.

Stem infection is characterized by reddish-brown streaks that subsequently crack, which can trigger wilting and dieback of the plant's apical part. Sunken spots form on the pods, becoming covered with a whitish or yellowish bacterial exudate during humid weather. Seeds may also become infected, which manifests as discoloration or indistinct spots.

In pea breeding for resistance to bacterial blight, the focus has shifted from searching for specific R-genes to developing field horizontal resistance. Evaluation of breeding lines is conducted using immunological screening, which allows for the identification of donors capable of limiting the development of disease symptoms, with varieties being classified in descriptions by their degree of tolerance or susceptibility to the pathogen.

General information about the subject — on the page Bacterial diseases.

Sources8

Varieties of Pea mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.