Abstract
A new bacterial disease was observed on spinach in Yamaguchi and Hiroshima Prefectures, Japan in 1986. The disease appeared on the leaves as small water-soaked spots which enlarged to form brown, slightly protruding lesions on the upper surface. The causal bacterium, classified as Pseudomonas syringae on the basis of laboratory tests, was pathogenic to spinach, but not to 49 other plant species tested. Nine strains of Pseudomonas syringae pathovars (aptata, atropurpurea, actinidiae, lachrymans, maculicola and syringae) were not pathogenic to spinach. From these results, the bacterium is considered to be a new pathovar of Pseudomonas syringae, and the name P. syringae pv. spinaciae pv. nov. is proposed. Strain 8605 (MAFF 211266) is designated as the pathotype strain.
