Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction for Identification of the Pathogen and Management of Potato Soft Rot with Zinc Application

Abstract

Effect of different Zinc doses was investigated against Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica , the potato blackleg/soft rot causing organism, during 2009 and 2010 in Department of Plant Pathology and Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan. Out of 200 tested samples, 21 of them were proved to be <i> Eca </i> . However, these tentative <i> Eca </i> isolates showed some characteristics which were unexpected for Eca . We, therefore, decided to perform Polymerase Chain Reaction using Eca -specific primers, Eca 1F and Eca 2R for confirm identification. For disease management, at the time of sowing, pots containing 5 kg sterilized soil were applied with Zinc in four different treatments i.e. 8 mg, 10 mg, 12 mg and 14 mg along with one control. Results indicated that 12 mg (4.8 kg Zn ha -1 ) were better doses in controlling the disease up to 73% and increasing the yield up to 117% as compared to control plants.