Populations of endophytic bacteria which influence host-resistance to Erwinia-induced bacterial soft rot in potato tubers

The ability of endophytic bacteria to influence Erwinia caratovora var, atroseptica (Eca) growth and disease development was examined in potatoes. Bacterial populations isolated from within the tubers of five potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars (Kennebec, Butte, Green Mountain, Russet Burbank and Sebago) showed antibiosis toward Eca in an in vitro assay. Sebago was host to the highest percentage of bacterial isolates inhibiting Eca growth in vitro (49.5%), followed by Green Mountain (33.3%), Kennebec (29.3%), Russet Burbank (12.9%) and Butte (1.8%). Of these, Curtobacterium luteum was the most common species. Few endophytic bacteria from Butte were inhibitory to Erwinia; all were from Pantoea agglomerans. Significantly higher populations of Erwinia-inhibiting bacteria were recovered from Kennebec (1.89 x 10(6) cfu fresh weight tuber tissue) as compared to the other cultivars; the lowest populations were recovered from Butte (0.01 x 10(6) cfu per g fresh weight tuber tissue). Published levels of cultivar disease resistance to blackleg did not correspond to actual bacterial soft rot development (induced by Eca) in an in vivo (tuber) assay. However, bacterial soft rot development was negatively correlated with the density of tuber populations of endophytic bacteria found able to inhibit Eca growth in vitro (R = -0.879, p = 0.05).