Decoding Tomato Soft Rot: Molecular Identification of Causal Bacteria in Mansehra | InformativeBD

Naseeb Ullah, Aziz Ud-Din, Tariq Mahmood, Hamid Ali, Wajid Ali, Sajidul Ghafoor, Shakir Khan, Safa Faqir, and Raja Asad Ali Khan, from the  different institute of Pakistan, wrote a Research Article about, Decoding Tomato Soft Rot: Molecular Identification of Causal Bacteria in Mansehra. Entitled, Molecular identification of Bacteria causing soft rot disease of tomato in Mansehra, Pakistan. This research paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences | IJB. an open access scholarly research journal on Biosciences. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Vegetables are regarded as the prolonged plant parts which are used either cooked or uncooked. Different vegetables have different nutritional values providing vitamins, antioxidant, minerals, fibers for the normal functioning of the human body. Pakistan is an agriculture country and above 70% of its population depends on agriculture. Mansehra is the North-West district of the province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is famous for tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) cultivation, However, there are certain limiting factors which lower the yield of tomato. Besides others the most important yield limiting factor is diseases caused by bacteria. These diseases pose a serious threat to the quality and quantity of tomato. We collected symptomatic samples of tomato showing symptoms of soft rot in the year 2016-2017. Bacteria were isolated and were further cultured to get pure colonies. We applied biochemical tests and molecular markers for the identification of isolated bacteria. The isolated bacteria were further subjected to PCR and we sequenced partially their 16S rRNA. It was revealed that Erwinia and pseudomonas were the causing agents. The obtained sequences of 16S rRNA were submitted to NCBI gene bank having accession numbers MH244345.1 and MH244346.1

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Introduction

Vegetables are the prolonged part or shoots of plants that are used as a food. These are then used in different ways either cooked or uncooked (Yusuf et al., 2004). Vegetables are important for providing the vigor and immunity to the body. They provide vitamins and other essential nutrients needed for healthy life and proper functions.

Tomato is grown, consumed and are placed at 6th among 15 vegetables which are consumed worldwide. Tomato and onion are used in a variety of ways including soup, sauce and other cooking factories (Lohano and Mari, 2005). It is considered beneficial and cash crop which can be grown in open fields as well as in green houses (Ali et al., 1994). Tomato are grown throughout the Pakistan on an area of 63200 ha which produce 599700 tonnes in which the contribution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is prominent producing 135700 tonnes by cultivating on in area of 1400 ha. In District Mansehra it is grown as a kharif crop which is from June to September (PAKISTAN, 2015-2016). Tomato is eaten either cooked or uncooked. It is rich source of Antioxidant, Vitamin A and also contains minerals and fibers that are essential for health. Number of genes are present in different variants controlling different protein of lycopene and cyanine needed as an antioxidant for human body (Stahl et al., 2001).

Soft rot which are caused by bacterial pathogen i.e. Erwinia sp. which is one of the crucial diseases of tomato crop resulting the decrease in yield and lower the value of tomato throughout the world (Agrios, 1997; Farrar et al., 2000; Van der Wolf et al., 2017; Ozturk et al., 2018). Erwinia sp. is one of the gramnegative bacteria, which is rod shaped, anaerobic, motile with flagella oriented at all side are soil born and tuber transmitted. It is the causal agent of devastation of tomato and other economic crops at both the fields and at the store houses. The Erwinia genus constitutes carotovora subsp. atroseptica, carotovorum subsp. brasiliensis, chrysanthami, Pectobacterium (Erwinia) wasabiae. In these species E. carotovora and E. atroseptica are the prominent in the destruction of tomato (Pitman et al., 2010).

Chrysanthami sp. of Erwinia can tolerate in both cold and warm climatic conditions (Hannukkala and Segerstedt, 2004).

Tomato is chief substrate for various bacterial pathogens. These pathogens are either soil born or mainly seed born. Therefore, for healthy and diseasefree tomato crop the proper check and balance is mandatory. For this purpose, the testing of seeds by ordinary technique is slightly difficult and not so accurate. However, another important technique for pathogen identification which is more accurate and reliable is the use of PCR in which the gene specific markers are used for different bacterial and other diseases. Here in this study we have collected symptomatic samples of tomato showing signs of bacterial diseases especially soft rot. we further identify the causing bacteria of soft rot through molecular approaches.

Tomatos are important for health and growth of human being and provide vitamins and immunity to the body. Tomato is grown on greater area in Mansehra, Pakistan but the production is lesser due to loss mainly due to bacteria. We identify Erwinia and Pseudomonas bacteria as a causal agent for the destruction of tomato in tomato. As these bacteria flourish well in humid and lower temperature. Due to these conditions these bacteria lower the quality and quantity of tomato production.

So, the current project was designed to confront the future challenges of tomato production in Pakistan especially in Mansehra against the virulent races of Bacteria. These bacteria cause great loss to the tomato crop. Therefore, this project will be efficient for the improvement of the tomato crop production in Mansehra, Pakistan.

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Article source : Molecular identification of Bacteria causing soft rot disease of tomato in Mansehra,Pakistan