Bacterial Leaf Spot Celery Disease Symptoms and Treatment

What does a bacterial leaf spot look like? How does bacterial leaf spot spread? How to control bacterial leaf spots? But, first, let’s learn about bacterial leaf spot celery disease symptoms and treatment guidelines!

Bacterial Leaf Spot Celery Disease Definition

Bacterial leaf spot celery disease meaning – What is bacterial leaf spot celery disease?

Even though bacterial leaf spot has been known since 1921 in New York State, it was still a fairly minor disease until 1989, when it was first seen on transplants grown in greenhouses and field-planted celery in California. By 1991, the disease had spread to all areas of California where celery was grown. More research needs to be done to find out how the bacterial leaf spot pathogen on celery is related to the Pseudomonas pathogens that cause leaf spots on fennel and parsley. In addition, coriander in California, Florida, and some parts of Europe have a disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola is similar to this one.

Bacterial Leaf Spot Celery Disease Causes

What causes bacterial leaf spot celery disease? What is the most common cause of bacterial leaf spot celery disease?

The bacterial leaf spot is caused by a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium called P. syringae pv. apii. The pathogen can be found on standard microbiology media, where it makes cream-colored colonies like most pseudomonads. When grown on Kings medium B, this organism makes a pigment that spreads and glows blue when exposed to ultraviolet light. Some strains of this pathogen only attack celery. This disease is spread by seeds, which means that celery transplants can get it. No information has been found about different races.

Bacterial Leaf Spot Celery Disease Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of bacterial leaf spot celery disease – What are some symptoms of bacterial leaf spot celery disease?

The first signs are small (2–5 mm in diameter), angular, water-soaked spots on the leaves that look greasy and are found on both sides of an infected leaf. As spots grow, they can get bigger and darker brown. When the skin is dry, the spots look light brown and papery. As a disease worsens, the number of lesions grows, they join together, and many leaves can die. Plants can lose some of their strength, but they don’t die. Bacterial leaf spot is only a disease of leaf spots. The symptoms can be confused with bacterial blight and brown stems caused by P. cichorii. Still, bacterial leaf spot does not cause symptoms on celery petioles.

Bacterial Leaf Spot Celery Disease Cycle

P. syringae pv. apii can live for at least two to three years on celery seeds, so seeds are the main source of primary inoculum. The pathogen lives on the surface of the leaves until the environment allows the population to grow and infection to happen through stomata or wounds. Most of the time, symptoms show up in transplants with soft, lush growth because they were grown in warm, humid conditions and fed a lot of nitrogen. Mowing transplants to help them grow quickly and evenly and watering them with high-pressure systems are easy ways to spread the pathogen. Symptoms show up 7 to 10 days after the leaves have been wet for more than 7 hours a day for 2 to 3 days. Diseases don’t spread much in the field unless it rains or someone waters from above.

Bacterial Leaf Spot Treatment Guidelines

Treatment of bacterial leaf spot celery disease – What is the best treatment for bacterial leaf spot celery disease?

Use seed that doesn’t have a lot of the disease-causing agent. Use hot water (50º C for 25 minutes) to treat seeds that have been infected. Practice careful sanitation at transplant nurseries. Clean benches, seed trays, mowers, and other tools used to make things. Use sanitizing agents to keep the pathogen from getting on workers’ hands, clothes, and shoes. Water plants so that they dry quickly, and don’t use high-pressure irrigation systems that soak the leaves with water. Copper sprays aren’t very helpful as a form of chemical control.

I hope you understand bacterial leaf spot celery disease symptoms and treatment guidelines.