The poinsettia ( Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch.) is one of Turkey's most important potted ornamental crops. Potted poinsettia plants exhibiting smaller-sized brilliant red bracts against the green leaves with free-branching were collected from commercial florists in three provinces of Turkey. In iPhyClassifier analysis, the query 16SrDNA sequences of our isolates shared 99.58% identity with that of the Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni. Our leaf samples consistently yielded a product of 0.7 kb by PCR with primers (KFD4F/KFD4R), which was newly designed based on X-Disease group (16SrIII) of phytoplasma secY sequences available in GenBank. The partial 16S rRNA sequences were used for phylogenetic analyses covering 41 taxa from the group of 16SrIII' Candidatus Phytoplasma' strains, including 14 strains causing disease on poinsettia worldwide. The sequences that caused the same disease in poinsettia plants in Finland, the USA, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Canada, including three strains from Turkey, formed a mono-phylogenetic group with a support value of 87%. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

In the fall season 2017, forty samples showing necrotic and wilted leaves, stem cankers, shoot cankers, leaf and fruit blight were collected from walnut trees in seven commercial orchards in Aydin province of Turkey. Ten isolates were identified based on morphology of monoconidial cultures obtained from pine needles. Morphological characteristics and DNA sequence comparisons of ITS and EF-1α gene sequences of the isolates revealed the presence of Botryosphaeria dothidea, Neofusicoccum parvum, and Neofusicoccum mediterraneum. Four isolates were identified as Neofusicoccum parvum with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426289 to MW426292) and EF1α (MT212730 to MT212733); two isolates were Neofusicoccum mediterraneum with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426287 and MW426288) and EF1α (MT212728 and MT21729), and one isolate was Botryosphaeria dothidea with 100% similarity for ITS (accession nos. MW426293) and EF1α (MT212734). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 2-year-old walnut trees cv. Chandler, and ten monoconidial isolates were pathogenic. This is the first report of N. parvum and B. dothidea causing twig blight and branch and dieback disease of walnuts in the Aegean region of Turkey and N. mediterraneum on walnut trees in Turkey. This emerging disease could pose a potential threat to new tree plantations of walnut in Turkey.

In the present study, 2366 strawberry seedling samples were collected from 49 strawberry growers before planting in Sultanhisar and Kosk districts of Aydin province during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 strawberry growing seasons. A total of 447 isolates of Fusarium were obtained from diseased roots and crowns of the commercial and farmer-produced seedlings. As a result of pathogenicity tests on healthy strawberry stolons and plants, 291 isolates of Fusarium spp. were found to be pathogenic. All pathogenic isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics and molecular methods by amplifying translation elongation factor (TEF) gene in PCR. Incidence of Fusarium spp. in the crown of strawberry seedlings was found to be 2.1% in the 1St year and 1.1% in the 2nd year while it was found to be 11.6% in the 1st year and 4.8% in the 2nd year in the root of the seedlings. When considering the origin of the seedlings, the presence of Fusarium spp. was 18.8% and 21.9% in transplants produced from stolons in previous season by the farmers while it was 5.2 and 5.6% in commercial frigo seedlings. Contamination rate of fresh seedlings examined in the second year was 5.6%. BLAST analysis of DNA sequences amplified from TEF genes of Fusarium isolates indicated that 73% of the isolates were F. oxysporum and 19% were F. proliferatum. At the end of study, 5 F. solani, 2 F. verticillioides, 2 F. acuminatum, 2 F. redolens, 1 F. arthrosporioides, 1 F. avenaceum, and 1 F. lateritium were also determined from strawberry seedlings.

Almost all cells of any living organism contain DNA, a hereditary molecule that passes from generation to generation during reproduction. The term "genome" generally refers to the total DNA sequences in an organism. The genome consists of DNA sequences called “gene”, which plays a role in the basic biological processes involved in many phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, such as performing cellular functions, controlling numbers and species, regulating energy production, metabolism, and combating diseases. Gene editing is the process of pre-designing and modifying a particular DNA sequence in a targeted gene. The most widely used technique is CRISPR-Cas technology. For this purpose, the DNA helix is ​​cut at a certain point, to form a double-strand break (DSB), and naturally existing cellular repair mechanisms repair the DSB. Modes of the repair mechanisms may affect the gene function. When DSB is formed, gene editing techniques can be applied to remove, insert, or replace a newly modified sequence using a synthetic donor template DNA. In developed and developing countries, CRISPR-Cas studies in addition to research and development studies are rapidly increasing. In addition to increasing population, changing weather conditions, declining farmland, increasing biotic and abiotic stresses are other important barriers to agricultural production, food, and feed supply. In this report, CRISPR-Cas applications are introduced in detail from the studies that carried out gene modifications in the fields of health, animals, plants, microorganisms, and food supply. Besides, these technologies and applications have been examined in terms of world biosafety legislation and the scientific risk assessment of the products developed using the CRISPR-Cas technique.

Phytophthora kök ve taç çürüklüğü (Phytophthora cactorum) çilek üretimini sınırlayan hastalıklardan bir tanesidir. Bu çalışma hastalık ile mücadelede antagonist bakterilerin kullanılmasını hedeflemektedir. Bu amaçla; çilek, karnabahar, kırmızı lahana, brokoli, lahana, turp, bakla ile yabancı otlardan yabani turp, darıcan ve çoban çantası bitkilerinin kök bölgesinden toplam 362 adet bakteri izole edilmiştir. Yapılan ikili kültür ve bazı ön eleme testleri ile çalışılan bakteri sayısı 101’e daha sonra da 24 düşürülmüştür. Bu antagonistlerin sahip oldukları etki mekanizmalarını belirlenmeye yönelik testlerde; hiç bir izolatın kitinaz, selülaz ve pektinaz aktivitesine sahip olmadığı, 13 izolatın proteaz, 3 izolatın fosfataz aktivitesine sahip olduğu, 20 izolatın inorganik fosfatı çözebildiği saptanmıştır. 19 izolatın HCN, 18 izolatın siderofor, 11 izolatın yüzey aktif madde ve 16 izolatın da 2-4,DAPG ürettiği bulunmuştur. Antagonistlerin IAA üretim kabiliyetlerine bakıldığında 62.4 ve 1.9 µg/ml olarak iki izolatın IAA ürettiği belirlenmiştir. Tüm bakteriler Pseudomonas spp. olarak tanılanmıştır. Saksı denemelerinde 3ss9 ve 6l10 izolatlarının P. cactorum’a karşı %50 oranında bir engelleme gösterdiği bulunmuştur.

Crown or root gall of grape is one of the most important bacterial diseases of vineyards in Turkey. Eighty-one vineyards in the Aegean Region were surveyed and 31 gall samples were collected between 2009 and 2011. A total of 16 of R. vitis isolates were identified and classified by PCR using species-and opine type-specific primers. Pathogenicity was determined by inoculating plants of sunflower and a highly virulent strain was used to determine the sensitivity of the most common rootstocks (10) and grapevine cultivars (31) in Turkey for two years. Two-year old rooted grape cutiings were artificially inoculated with bacterial suspension (10(7)cfu/ml). Plants were maintained in climate rooms (at 18-24 degrees C temperature, 80% relative humidity, 12 h light/dark) and gall diameters and weights were measured after 3 months. At the end of the study, all the isolates obtained from this region were determined to cause octopin/cucumopine type opin synthesis. Ramsey and 1613-C were the most tolerant rootstocks while 420-A and 41-B were the most susceptible to R. vitis. On the other hand, Sultan 1, Sultana Seedless (Type 4) and Sultan-7 (from the Sultana Seedless group) and Mevlana, Red Globe and Pembe Gemre (6th, 11th and 12th clones) were found to be the most susceptible while Bornova Misketi was the most tolerant grape cultivar.

Samples of strawberry transplants were randomly collected from 47 growers in Aydın province of Turkey. A total of 10 Rhizoctonia isolates were identified by morphological characterization, analysis of rDNA-ITS sequences. Pathogenicity tests were carried on strawberry seedlings and detached stolon. Ten pathogenic binucleate Rhizoctonia isolates were defined as AG-A, AG-G and AG-K on the basis of ITS region sequence analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of Rhizoctonia fragariae in strawberry transplants in Turkey.

Samples of diseased plants were collected from 12 lettuce fields in Aydin province of the Aegean Region of Turkey. A total of 8 bacterial isolates were identified by morphological characterization, sequence analysis of 16S rDNA and gyrB genes, and pathogenicity. The survey included twelve lettuce fields of three different cultivars [Yedikule (romaine type), Robinson and Chianti (iceberg type)]. The incidence of the disease ranged from 48 to 95%. Plants of cv. Chianti were the most severely infected cultivars. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians in lettuce plants in Turkey.

Bu calisma 2009-2011 yillarinda Aydin ili ve ilcelerindeki nar bahcelerinde gorulen fungal ve bakteriyel hastalik etmenleri ile bu etmenlerin yayginlik oranlarinin belirlenmesi amaciyla yurutulmustur. Aydin ilinde toplam 16 ilcede ciceklenme doneminden hasat sonuna kadar toplam 96 nar ureticisine ait bahcede survey yapilmistir. Survey calismalari sonucundaAydin ili genelinde incelenen toplam 17125 agacin %4,7’sinde solgunluk, bu bahcelerdeki incelenen meyvelerin (her agacin dort yonunde 10’ar meyve olmak uzere toplam 40 meyve) % 8,1’inde curume gorulurken, % 8,8’inde ise hasat oncesinde gorulen catlamalar nedeniyle pazar degerini yitirdigibelirlenmistir. Solgunluk belirtisi gosteren bitkilerden ornekler alinmis ve bu bitkilerin kok ve kok bogazindan yapilan izolasyonlar sonucu elde edilen funguslarin % 64,4’u Fusarium spp . , % 13,6’si Cytospora spp ., % 3,4 ’ u Cytospora spp. ve Fusarium spp. ve % 1,7’si Trichothecium roseum, % 1,7’si Rhizoctonia solani, % 1,7’si Phytophthora sp., % 1,7’si Gliocladium sp. ve % 1,7’si Alternaria sp., olarak tanilanirken, izolatlarin % 10,2’si Coniella granati olarak tanilanmistir. Fusarium, Coniella granati ve Cytospora turleri ile yapilan patojenisite calismalari sonucunda Cytospora ve Coniella granati izolatlarinin tamami patojen olarak bulunurken, Fusarium turlerinin %69,5’i patojen olarak saptanmistir. Hastalikli meyvelerden yapilan izolasyon calismalarinda ise en fazla % 28,3 ile Altenaria spp. izole edilirken bunu % 19,6 ile Aspergillus spp. %13,1 ile Penicillium spp. %8,7 ile Coniella granati , %8,7 ile Cytospora spp. izlemis, Gliocladiom spp., Trichoderma spp. ve Fusarium spp. tanilanan diger funguslar olmustur. Aydin ilinde yurutulen survey calismalari sonucunda nar agaclarinda bakteriyel hastaliklar ile ilgili herhangi bir belirtiye rastlanmamistir.

Çalışma, Türkiye’de çilek fidelerinde karşılaşılan sorunları ortaya koymak amacıyla ele alınmıştır. Türkiye’de 2015 yılı itibarıyla sertifikalı çilek fidesi miktarı, toplam çilek dikilecek alanlar için gerekli sertifikalı fide miktarının ancak %24’ünü karşılamaktadır. Geri kalan %76’lık kısım üreticinin koldan aldığı fide ile karşılanmaktadır. Üreticilerin koldan elde ettiği fidelerdeki patojen Fusarium spp.’nin bulunma oranı, sertifikalı frigo fidelerdekinin 3-4 katı, patojen Rhizoctonia spp.’nin üreticilerin koldan elde ettiği fidelerdeki bulunma oranı sertifikalı frigo fidelerdekinin 2-4.5 katıdır. Çilek fideliğinde kullanılan methyl bromide alternatifi fumigantlar, toprak kaynaklı fungal patojenler açısından sorunları tam olarak çözememektedir. Ülkemizde halen yürürlükte olan “Çilek Fidesi Üretimi, Sertifikasyonu ve Pazarlaması Yönetmeliği”nin Türkiye’de varlığı tespit edilmiş bazı hastalık etmenleri açısından EPPO (Avrupa and Akdeniz Bitki Koruma Organizasyonu) standartları ile uyum sağlayacak şekilde güncellenmesi yararlı olacaktır.

In this study, the presence and incidence of fungal pathogens were investigated in strawberry seedlings in AydinProvince producing 68% of the total strawberry production of Aegean region. Isolations were made from the crown and root, and a total of 2248 strawberry seedlings (cvs. Camarosa, Sweetcharlie, Rubygem and Festival) were collected from strawberry growing areas of Sultanhisar and Kosk during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 cropping season before planting. In total, 1014 fungal isolates were obtained from crown and roots. Pathogenicity tests performed on stolons indicated that 291 Fusarium spp., 153 Rhizoctonia spp. , 4 Macrophomina sp., and 13 Cylindrocarpon sp. isolates were pathogenic. In 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 cropping seasons, the incidence of Rhizoctonia spp. was 2.7 and 3.4 % in commercial frigo seedlings and 12.4 and 7.7 % in runner-transplants produced by the farmers, while that of Fusarium spp. was 6.1 and 5.2 % in frigo seedlings, 18.8 and 21.9 % in runner-transplants, respectively. The incidence of Rhizoctonia spp was found to be 3.5 % and Fusarium spp was 5.6 % in fresh seedlings in 2010-2011 cropping season. The occurrence of Fusarium spp were 2.1 and 1.1% in crowns, and 11.6 and 4.8 % in roots while Rhizoctonia spp. were 0.48 and 0.1 % in crowns, and 8.96 and 2.6 in roots in both cropping seasons, respectively.The presence of Macrophomina phaseolina and Cylindrocarpon spp. was also determined in rather low frequencies in strawberry seedlings.

Samples of strawberry transplants were randomly collected from 47 growers in Aydın province of Turkey. A total of 26 Fusarium oxysporum isolates were identified by morphological characterization, sequence analysis of factor-1 alpha gene, and pathogenicity tests on strawberry, cucumber and tomato seedlings. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of F. oxysporum in strawberry transplants in Turkey.

Experiments were conducted in commercial fields of strawberry-growing areas of the Aydin Province of Turkey during two cropping seasons: 2010–2011 and 2011–2012. Each year, eight separate treatments were used: (1) untreated control (C), (2) solarization alone (S), (3) solarization + broccoli (SBr), (4) solarization + fava bean (SFB), (5) solarization + dry olive-mill wastewater (SDOMW), (6) solarization + rice hulls (SRH), (7) solarization + sulfur powder (SSu), and (8) solarization + vermicast (SVe). DNA was extracted from bulk soil samples before and after solarization. The populations of the major taxonomic groups of bacteria and soil-borne fungal pathogens of strawberry were quantitatively calculated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) with specific primer pairs using standard curves. The marketable fruit yield was recorded in the experimental plots. After the 6-week solarization period, there were significant reductions for total bacteria and for α-Proteobacteria in all of the experimental plots, except for SDOMW. However, the abundance of β-Proteobacteria significantly increased in all of the experimental plots (except for C and SFB in 2011). Significant increases in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were also recorded in all of the treated plots. The highest significant increase was noticed with SDOMW treatments for total bacteria, α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria in both years. The target level of Verticillium spp. Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum decreased significantly in all of the treated plots after solarization in both years. The reductions of M. phaseolina were significant in S, SVe, and SSu and were the highest in SDOMW in 2011; these reductions were significant in S, SSu and SDOMW in 2012. The abundance of Trichoderma spp. decreased insignificantly in all of the experimental plots. The highest significant yields were obtained from the combination of SDOMW, SRH and SSu compared to solarization alone in both seasons.

Organik veya inorganik fosfati cozebilme potansiyeline sahip, cesitli kultur bitkilerinin rizosferinden izole edilen 5 bakteri izolatinin (6k8-Pseudomonas putida, 6ba6- Pseudomonas fluorescens, F5-Burkholderia cepacia, E21-Pseudomonas sp., C5-Bacillus megaterium) Pamuk Verticillium Solgunlugu’na ve bitki gelisimine etkisi arastirilmistir. Tohum bakterizasyonu uygulanmis Carmen cesiti pamuk bitkilerinde F5 ve 6ba6 izolatlari fosfor alinimini onemli derecede artirmis, sirasiyla % 47.9 ve % 23.1 oraninda bitki kuru agirliginda artis saglamistir. Govde enjeksiyon yontemi ile inokule edilen pamuk bitkilerinde, E21 ve F5 ile tohum bakterizasyonu Verticillium dahliae’nin yaprak dokmeyen irkina karsi sirasiyla % 68.4 ve % 38.9 oraninda etkili olurken, yaprak doken irka karsi hic bir izolat etkili bulunmamistir. Toprakta iki farkli V. dahliae irkina ait mikrosklerotlarin (10 ms/g toprak) varligi durumunda, E21 ve 6ba6 izolatlari ile tohum bakterizasyonu, yaprak dokmeyen irka karsi sirasiyla % 69 ve % 66, yaprak doken irka karsi da sirasiyla % 51.4 ve % 54 oraninda onemli duzeyde etktili bulunmustur.

Two field experiments were conducted in the two successive seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 in strawberry-growing areas of Aydin province of Turkey to (a) compare soil solarization and metam sodium (MS) combinations with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and virtually impermeable film (VIF); and (b) evaluate strawberry fruit yield, soilborne disease and weed control efficacy. Disinfestation treatments were as follows: (i) raised bed solarization for about 6 weeks, (ii) raised bed solarization for 3 weeks, (iii) raised bed solarization for 2 weeks + MS (50 ml m(-2)), (iv) MS (50 ml m(-2)) with LPDE (v) MS (100 ml m(-2)) with LDPE, (vi) MS (50 ml m(-2)) with VIF, (vii) MS (100 ml m(-2)) with VIF. Results indicated that Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium spp. were the major fungal pathogens isolated from the crown of dead or dying plants in both cropping seasons. MS treatment (100 ml m(-2)) through the drip irrigation system under LDPE sheet or VIF reduced soilborne diseases significantly while reduced dosage of MS (50 ml m(-2)) under LDPE or VIF and in combination with 2-week soil solarization controlled the soilborne diseases to a greater extent than soil solarization treatments. All treatments controlled the following weed species: Portulaca oleracea, Amaranthus spp., Poa annua, Alopecurus myosuroides, Matricaria chamomilla, Digitaria sanguinalis, Raphanus raphanistrum, Seteria verticillata, Chenopodium album, Stelleria media, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Echinochloa cruss-galli, Veronica hederifolia, Lamium amplexicaule and Silybum marianum. None of the treatments provided acceptable control of horseweed (Conyza canadensis). Metam sodium application (100 ml m(-2)) significantly increased yields by 18.5% and 14.5% in the 2005/2006 and 21.6% and 18.5% in the 2006/2007 season under LDPE and VIF, respectively, while marketable fruit yield was not significantly increased by soil solarization treatments in either trial. There was no significant difference between MS applications under LDPE and VIF for the weed and disease control, and marketable fruit yield.

With a typical Mediterranean climate, Aydin is the third largest strawberry-producing province, responsible for 13% of the overall strawberry production in Turkey. Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) are mainly grown in raised, plastic-mulched beds under tunnels and soil solarization is the most effectively used management practice to control soil-borne pathogens. During October 2011 and 2012, 2 months after planting, wilting and collapse of plants were observed on commercial strawberry (cv. strawberry Festival) fields in Sultanhisar town of Aydin Province. Eleven percent of the plants were wilted and died. Symptomatic plants exhibited blackened necrotic discoloration of roots and in the cross section of crowns. A fungus was consistently isolated from pieces of infected tissue cut aseptically from the crowns and placed on potato dextrose agar. Fungus produced white colonies and later turned olivaecious black with dense aerial mycelium after 4 to 5 days incubation at 27°C. Dark brown to black pycnidia that formed on 20- to 30-day-old pure cultures under daylight conditions produced abundant conidia that were two-celled, thick-walled, and oval shaped with longitudinal striations. Single spore isolates from 12 samples were obtained and stored for further identification. The average size of 300 conidia was 25.42 ± 2.12 × 12.87 ± 1.08 μm. The morphology of the fungus was similar to Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl. (syn. Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat.). To confirm the identity of the isolates, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA and the elongation factor 1-alpha gene were amplified with the universal ITS1/ITS4 and EF1-688F/EF1-1251R (1) primers, respectively. The amplicons from 12 isolates were commercially sequenced at Macrogen (Korea) and were deposited in GenBank under consecutive accession numbers KF910369 to KF910380 and KJ641536 to KJ641547. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all 12 isolates were closely related and belonged to L. theobromae. Pathogenicity tests were performed by the toothpick technique (2) under greenhouse conditions (28°C, 14/10-h day/night, 70% RH) on potted strawberry plants (cv. strawberry Festival). Toothpicks carrying fungal growth taken from 1-week-old corn meal agar cultures of the tested isolates was placed into the basal crown tissue of the plants by piercing about 5 mm depth. Six plants were inoculated for each isolate and six were treated with sterile toothpick for control. All inoculated plants developed wilting and dieback symptoms resembling those of naturally infected plants within 2 to 3 weeks of incubation. All plants inoculated with the tested isolates collapsed after 4 weeks and showed discoloration of internal crown tissue. Control plants did not exhibit any disease symptoms, and crown tissue was symptomless. L. theobromae was successfully re-isolated from lesions of all inoculated plants. L. theobromae has been reported to cause cankers and dieback in a wide range of hosts in tropical and subtropical regions of the world (3). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae causing dieback on strawberry plants. References: (1) A. Alves et al. Fungal Divers. 28:1, 2008. (2) M. E. A. El-Morsi and I. A. Ibrahim. Wudpecker J. Agric. Res. 1:215, 2012. (3) E. Punithalingam. Plant diseases attributed to Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. J. Cramer, Vaduz, 1980.

Pseudomonas isolates from different crop plants were screened for in vitro growth inhibition of Phytophthora capsici and production of biosurfactant. Two in vivo experiments were performed to determine the efficacy of selected Pseudomonas strains against Phytophthora blight of pepper by comparing two fungicide treatments [acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and ASM + mefenoxam]. Bacterial isolates were applied by soil drenching (1 × 109 cells/ml), ASM (0.1 μg a.i./ml) and ASM + mefenoxam (0.2 mg product/ml) were applied by foliar spraying, and P. capsici inoculum was incorporated into the pot soil three days after treatments. In the first experiment, four Pseudomonas strains resulted in significant reduction from 48.4 to 61.3% in Phytophthora blight severity. In the second experiment, bacterial treatments combining with olive oil (5 mL per plant) significantly enhanced biological control activity, resulting in a reduction of disease level ranging from 56.8 to 81.1%. ASM + mefenoxam was the most effective treatment while ASM alone was less effective in both bioassays. These results indicate that our Pseudomonas fluorescens strains (6L10, 6ba6 and 3ss9) that have biosurfactant-producing abilities are effective against P. capsici on pepper, and enhanced disease suppression could be achieved when they were used in combination with olive oil.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil fumigant alternatives to methyl bromide (MeBr) on the weeds, damping-off, and seedling growth of tobacco. Methyl bromide (90 g m(-2)), dazomet (D) (50 g m(-2)), and metam sodium (MS) (100 mL m(-2)) were evaluated in 2 locations in the Karacasu district of Aydin province, Turkey, February-April 2005. In addition, half doses of D and MS were investigated in 2006. MeBr treatment had 52.5% control against the postemergence damping-off caused by Pythium spp.; while alternative treatments had no effect on the disease in 2005. In 2006, MeBr and MS (100 mL m(-2)) showed 77.6% and 100% control against the disease, respectively. All fumigant treatments significantly controlled pigweed species (Amaranthus spp.), common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), nettleleaf goosefoot (Chenopodium murale L.), burning nettle (Urtica urens L.), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.), except dazomet (50 g m(-2)) on pigweed (86.2%), common lambsquarters (68.6%), nettleleaf goosefoot (60.5%), and burning nettle (64.3%) at one location in 2005. Similarly, all fumigants, including low doses of MS (50 mL m(-2)) and D (25 g m(-2)), significantly decreased the populations of pigweed species, common purslane, common lambsquarters, prostrate knotweed (Polygon urn aviculare L.), and sowthistle species (Sonchus spp.) in 2006. Tobacco (cv. Akhisar) seedling height and fresh weight increased significantly with treatments of MeBr, MS (100 mL m(-2)), and D (50 g m(-2)) at the 2 locations in both years.

In April of 2009, leaf blight symptoms were observed on field peas (Pisum sativum L.) grown in Söke, Torbali, and Ödemis counties in the Aegean Region of Turkey. Field inspections revealed disease incidence as high as 45% and the disease was found in 13 commercial fields. Initial symptoms consisted of small, dark green, water-soaked lesions on leaves, stipules, and stems near ground level. Lesions often enlarged and coalesced and turned chocolate brown with a water-soaked margin. Stem infections usually coalesced and girdled the stem spreading upward to stipules and leaflets forming a fan-like lesion on the stipule. A fluorescent, gram-negative bacterium was consistently isolated from diseased tissues onto King's B medium. Twelve strains (five from cv. Early Sweet, three from cv. Geneva, two from cv. Bolero, and two from cv. Carina) from thirteen pea fields were obtained. All strains metabolized glucose oxidatively, and their reactions in LOPAT tests were +, -, -, -, +, and thus classified as belonging to Pseudomonas syringae LOPAT group Ia (1). The 12 strains utilized homoserine, inositol, sorbitol, sucrose, mannitol, and mannose but did not utilize erythritol, trehalose, and L-tartarate. All showed ice nucleation activity but variable results were obtained for gelatin liquefaction and esculin hydrolysis. Identification of P. syringae pv. pisi was confirmed by sequencing the 16S rDNA with primers Univ-1390R (3) and 27F (2). Sequences of the three local strains (Bz2, Bz4, and Bz8) were 100% identical to a type culture strain. The nucleotide sequence of strain Bz4 was submitted to GenBank (Accession No. GU332546). Pathogenicity tests were performed on greenhouse-grown 2-week-old pea plants cv. Geneva as three replicates in 12-cm pots containing a steamed sand/peat/soil mixture. Plants were stab inoculated by puncturing the main stem at its junction with the stipules at the second node from the apical end with a 26-gauge needle through a 5-μl drop of 108 CFU/ml bacterial suspensions. Control plants were inoculated with sterile water. After 10 days of incubation in a growth chamber at 24 ± 1°C with a 14-h photoperiod, stems inoculated with pea isolates resulted in water-soaked tissue spreading from the site of inoculation along the veins on stipules and leaflets that were identical to symptoms seen in the field. Control plants remained symptomless. Isolates recovered from the symptomatic stems showed the same morphological and biochemical features of the original isolates. All physiological and biochemical tests as well as the pathogenicity assay were performed at least twice and the type strain of P. syringae pv. pisi (NCPPB 2585) was used as reference. On the basis of the physiological, biochemical, genetic, and pathological characteristics, all strains were identified as P. syringae pv. pisi. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. syringae pv. pisi causing bacterial blight on pea in Turkey. Turkey currently produces approximately 93.000 t of peas annually and three-quarters of that is produced in Western Anatolia. The new disease may represent a limiting factor for future production. References: (1) R. A. Lelliott et al. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 29:470, 1966. (2) W. G. Weisburg et al. J. Bacteriol. 173:697, 1991. (3) D. Zeng et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:4504, 1996.

Four out of 59 fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. strains collected from cotton and weed rhizosphere were selected based on the following criteria: (1) inhibition of Verticillium dahliae in vitro, (2) disease suppression on two cotton cultivars grown from bacterized seeds using stem-injection with the conidia of V. dahliae, and (3) seedling vigor test (dry weight) under greenhouse conditions. Four selected Pseudomonas strains isolated from Xanthium strumarium (FP22), Portulaca sp. (FP23), Gossypium hirsitum (FP30), and Convolvulus arvensis (FP35), as well as the known biocontrol agent Serratia plymuthica (HRO-C48), were further tested for the impact on Verticillium wilt, growth parameters of cotton, and yield in a naturally infested field. The reduction of AUDPC by the seed bacterization with FP22, FP23, FP30, FP35, and HRO-C48 compared to non-bacterized control ranged from 39.2% to 50.9% and 22.1% to 36.8% in trials done in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The growth parameters (plant height, number of nodes on main stem, and NAWF-nodes above white flower) were significantly higher in seed bacterized plants compared to the untreated control. In the 2005 field trial, the increase of seed cotton yield by the treatment with four Pseudomonas strains and HRO-C48 ranged from 13.1% to 22.3% in Sayar 314 and 4.2% to 12.8% in Acala Maxxa. Seed cotton yield was not significantly influenced by the 2006 treatments. Our results indicate that seed treatment of cotton plants with our Pseudomonas spp. strains and the known strain Serratia plymuthica can help in the biocontrol of V. dahliae and improve growth parameters in cotton fields.