Specific detection of pigment-producing strains of Burkholderia glumae by ammonia treatment

Abstract

Several strains of Burkholderia glumae formed yellowish orange colonies on agar plates containing saccharides, such as glucose, ribose and arabinose. These colonies formed at 35°C or 30°C turned violet immediately after exposure to ammonia. This phenomenon was observed only in these pigment-producing strains, but not in other plant pathogenic bacteria, indicating that these strains can be used for monitoring B. glumae in ecological studies.