Present status of olive knot disease caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi in Aegean region of Turkey

Abstract: In recent years olive knot caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi has triggered so many new infections threatening trees with killing in Aegean Region of Turkey. Survey has been carried out in 2009-2010 to determine the status of the disease in the Region. Olive plantations with the disease symptoms in Balıkesir (Bandırma, Burhaniye, Edremit, Erdek), Çanakkale (Ayvacık, Geyikli, Ezine, Küçükuyu, Gökçeada), Izmir (Karaburun) and Manisa(Akhisar) provinces were visited during the end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn. The disease incidence and disease severity index per orchard/location/area were estimated. Totally 80 strains were isolated from olive knot samples collected. Isolated strains were identified on the basis of biochemical and pathogenicity tests. As a result the differences in the incidence and severity of olive knot disease between localities and areas were determined. Variation of climatic conditions (frost, wind and hailstorms) and harvesting practices were concluded to effect directly the incidence and severity of the disease.