Abstract

CHANGES IN PEA SEEDS VIABILITY DUE TO INFECTION OF BACTERIAL PATHOGEN PSEUDOMONAS SYRINGAE PV. PISI CAUSING BACTERIAL BLIGHT OF PEA

Ashwani Kumar Verma* and Laxmi Meena

Abstract

In the present investigation, effects of seed-borne bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi on pea seeds viability were observed. Pea seeds collected from different districts of Rajasthan were categorized into three categories viz. asymptomatic, moderately symptomatic and severely symptomatic seeds. Symptomatic pea seeds were selected to study the bacterial pathogen. The bacterial isolates obtained from pea seeds were identified using standard biochemical tests and molecular characterization by 16s rRNA sequencing. Seed coat distortion, shriveling and discoloration of seeds were observed during dry seed examination. Excised embryos from pea seeds were treated with culture filtrates (CF’s) of bacterial isolates to determine seed viability. The study revealed that natural infection of bacterial pathogen degraded seed health and their viability. Phytotoxins contained within CF’s significantly decreased seed viability in vitro. It was concluded that the infection of bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi can cause significant reduction in growth, yield and quality of pea crop by affecting seed viability.

Keywords: Bacterial pathogen, culture filtrate, pea seeds, viability.