Intercontinental variation of Sclerospora graminicola

Collections of S. graminicola were made from local pearl millet crops in West Africa and India. Asexual inoculum was derived from the collections in Polythene tunnels and used to infect pearl millet cultivars from both continents. Analysis of deviance of the incidence of disease was performed on the logit scale using GLIM. The host × pathogen interactions were interpreted by use of the Finlay-Wilkinson regression technique widely used in the study of genotype × environment interactions. While the West African collections were consistently more pathogenic than the Indian ones, West African hosts were potentially more susceptible to Indian than to West African pathogen isolates; conversely some Indian hosts were more vulnerable to West African than to Indian isolates. There was a fairly stable relationship between incidence of disease and relative pathogenicity of West African isolates but the Indian isolates were more variable in their susceptibility to changing background levels of disease. These results could influence resistance breeding strategies in pearl millet improvement programmes. The methods of analysis could be valuable for application to other complex and ill-defined pathosystems.     

Races and virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense on local banana cultivars in Kenya

Virulence of 31 Kenyan isolates of Fusarium oxysporum obtained from bananas showing symptoms of Panama disease was tested against the differential banana cvs Bluggoe, Gros Michel, Dwarf Cavendish, and two other local cvs Muraru and Wang'ae. Seventeen isolates were assigned to either race 1 or race 2 of F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense (FOC). Race 4 was not apparent in this sample of 31 isolates from Kenya as none were pathogenic to cv. Cavendish, and no wilted Cavendish have been observed in field surveys in Kenya. Races could not be assigned to 12 isolates as they were virulent on more than one differential cultivar, and two were apparently not pathogenic. All isolates assigned to races 1 and 2 belonged to the VCG bridging complex 0124/5/8/20, but some other isolates belonging to this VCG complex could not be assigned to race. All five isolates assigned to VCG 01212 could not be assigned to known races. Considerable variability thus exists within FOC isolates within this region. Local cultivars of banana showed differential resistance to the pathogen. The interaction of cultivars and isolates on the level of disease was significant. Overall, cv. Wang'ae was the most susceptible to most of the isolates tested, regardless of their race, and could therefore be used as a reference cultivar in pathogenicity tests of isolates of FOC in the East African region. Of the cultivars tested that are widely grown on smallholder farms in Kenya, Muraru was the least susceptible.     

The genetic relationship between races of Bremiae lactucae and cultivars of Lactuca sativa

The reactions of lettuce cultivars to physiologic races of Bremia lactucae are interpreted in terms of a gene-for-gene relationship between pathogen and host. The hypothesis takes into account the parentage of cultivars and the origins of their resistance, the characteristics of the resistance reactions and data available from detailed genetical analysis of various race/cultivar combinations. Cultivars are classified with respect to ten postulated resistance genes and B. lactucae races are defined by the virulence genes present. The practical significance of these studies is discussed in relation to both future lettuce breeding programmes and to the choice of cultivars available to counteract any given local race situation.     

Race Profiling and Molecular Diversity Analysis of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris Causing Wilt in Chickpea

Seventy isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (Foc) causing chickpea wilt representing 13 states and four crop cultivation zones of India were analysed for their virulence and genetic diversity. The isolates of the pathogen showed high variability in causing wilt incidence on a new set of differential cultivars of chickpea, namely C104, JG74, CPS1, BG212, WR315, KWR108, GPF2, DCP92‐3, Chaffa and JG62. New differential cultivars for each race were identified, and based on differential responses, the isolates were characterized into eight races of the pathogen. The same set of isolates was used for molecular characterization with four different molecular markers, namely random amplified polymorphic DNA, universal rice primers, simple sequence repeats and intersimple sequence repeats. All the four sets of markers gave 100% polymorphism. Unweighted paired group method with arithmetic average analysis grouped the isolates into eight categories at genetic similarities ranging from 37 to 40%. The molecular groups partially corresponded to the states of origin/chickpea‐growing region of the isolates as well as races of the pathogen characterized in this study. The majority of southern, northern and central Indian populations representing specific races of the pathogen were grouped separately into distinct clusters along with some other isolates, indicating the existence of variability in population predominated by a single race of the pathogen. The present race profiling for the Indian population of the pathogen and its distribution pattern is entirely new. The knowledge generated in this study could be utilized in resistance breeding programme. The existence of more than one race, predominated by a single one, in a chickpea cultivation zone as supported by the present molecular findings is also a new information.     

I. Pathogenic variation in fungi and bacteria and mycorrhizal compatibility: Variation in Pseudomonas morsprunorum and the selection of cherry cultivars resistant to bacterial canker

During 1971 and 1972 leaf spot infection caused by Pseudomonas morsprunorum was far more severe on the cv. Roundel than on the normally more susceptible cv. Napoleon, and Roundel supported higher leaf surface populations of the pathogen. This unprecedented reversal in the established field performance of the two cultivars was associated with the presence on the trees of a colony variant (race 2) of P. morsprunorum that differed from the forms of the organism previously described (race 1) in physiological, pathological and phage sensitivity characteristics. In inoculation experiments race 2 isolates showed some specificity for Roundel and race 1 isolates for Napoleon. This difference was reflected in the distribution of the races on trees of the two cultivars growing in experimental plots and commercial orchards. Similar interactions between race and host genotype were observed amongst progeny from breeding programmes and material originally selected for resistance to bacterial canker after inoculation with race 1 proved susceptible to race 2. Three distinct groups of isolates with the colony characteristics of race 2 have been identified and one of these has affinities with Pseudomonas syringae. Group 1 isolates, corresponding to P. morsprunorum and comprising non-fluorescent forms, were the most virulent in pathogenicity tests and accounted for the majority of race 2 infections in the field.     

Pathogenic Diversity in and Sources of Resistance to Uromyces appendiculatus in Southern Africa

The reaction of the first (1983) common bean international differential set and other germplasm to 248 single pustule isolates of the rust fungus Uromyces appendiculatus, collected from various southern African countries, was evaluated. Eleven of the most important isolates were re‐purified and re‐inoculated, this time also on the second (2002) revised and smaller international differential set. The 248 isolates could be grouped into 44 race‐groups. These were subjected to principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). A second PCoA was carried out using 25 of the most important of the 44, together with 34 African races reported by previous authors. Isolates were generally avirulent on accessions with the resistance genes Ur‐3+, ‐5 or ‐11, as well as Compuesto Negro Chimaltenango (CNC) and A 286, all small seeded, and the most useful sources were accessions carrying both Ur‐3 and Ur‐11, for instance BelMiNeb‐RMR‐7, BelDakMi‐RMR‐14 and ‐18. Isolates were generally virulent on large seeded accessions (with, among others Ur‐4, ‐6 or ‐9), reflecting the preference for large seeded beans in southern Africa and co‐evolution of host and pathogen. No large seeded accessions showed broad resistance. The least susceptible was Plant Introduction 260418, which rated resistant to moderately susceptible to the 11 races. These observations were confirmed by field ratings on the same accessions over multiple seasons. According to the PCoA, which proved useful for the identification of differentiating accessions, southern African isolates fell into three main clusters, for which Redlands Pioneer and the South Africa cultivar Teebus were the most discriminating differentials. Other accessions that showed particularly useful differentiating ability were Olathe and 51051. Of these, only Redlands Pioneer has been included in the 2002 differential set. The PCoA grouping of the African races was similar to that of the southern African race‐groups.     

Isolate Virulence and Cultivar Response in the Winter Wheat: Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Tan Spot) Pathosystem in Oklahoma

Prevalence of tan spot of wheat caused by the fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis has become more prevalent in Oklahoma as no-till cultivation in wheat has increased. Hence, developing wheat varieties resistant to tan spot has been emphasized, and selecting pathogen isolates to screen for resistance to this disease is critical. Twelve isolates of P. tritici-repentis were used to inoculate 11 wheat cultivars in a greenhouse study in split-plot experiments. Virulence of isolates and cultivar resistance were measured in percent leaf area infection for all possible isolate x cultivar interactions. Isolates differed significantly (P < 0.01) in virulence on wheat cultivars, and cultivars differed significantly in disease reaction to isolates. Increased virulence of isolates detected increased variability in cultivar response (percent leaf area infection) (r = 0.56, P < 0.05) while increased susceptibility in cultivars detected increased variance in virulence of the isolates (r = 0.76, P < 0.01). A significant isolate × cultivar interaction indicated specificity between isolates and cultivars, however, cluster analysis indicated low to moderate physiological specialization. Similarity in wheat cultivars in response to pathogen isolates also was determined by cluster analysis. The use of diverse isolates of the fungus would facilitate evaluation of resistance in wheat cultivars to tan spot.     

Genetic diversity of Burkholderia solanacearum (synonym Pseudomonas solanacearum) race 3 in Kenya.

Genetic diversity among isolates of the bacterial plant pathogen Burkholderia solanacearum (synonym Pseudomonas solanacearum) race 3 biovar II of Kenya was determined by PCR with repetitive sequences (ERIC and BOX repetitive primer sets) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA digested by rare-cutting restriction endonucleases (RC-PFGE). The study comprised 46 isolates collected during 1992 from the major potato-growing regions of Kenya (45 were identified as race 3 biovar II, and 1 belonged to race 3 biovar N2) and 39 reference isolates from 19 other countries. RC-PFGE identified 10 distinct profile types among the Kenyan race 3 biovar II isolates (29 of the isolates exhibited identical profiles) and a further 27 distinct profile types among the reference isolates. ERIC and BOX primer sets were unable to differentiate race 3 biovar II isolates within the Kenyan population but differentiated a further two distinct profile types among the reference isolates. The race 3 biovar N2 isolate had a highly distinct RC-PFGE and repetitive sequence PCR profile. Statistical analysis of the data identified biogeographic trends consistent with conclusions drawn from previous studies on the origin and worldwide dissemination of race 3 biovar II isolates; however, genomic fingerprinting by RC-PFGE revealed a level of genetic diversity previously unrealized.     

Local adaptation and effect of host genotype on the rate of pathogen evolution: an experimental test in a plant pathosystem

Abstract Virulence is thought to be a driving force in host–pathogen coevolution. Theoretical models suggest that virulence is an unavoidable consequence of pathogens evolving towards a high rate of intrahost reproduction. These models predict a positive correlation between the reproductive fitness of a pathogen and its level of virulence. Theoretical models also suggest that the demography and genetic structure of a host population can influence the evolution of virulence. If evolution occurs faster in pathogen populations than in host populations, the predicted result is local adaptation of the pathogen population. In our studies, we used a combination of molecular and physiological markers to test these hypotheses in an agricultural system. We isolated five strains of the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola from each of two wheat cultivars that differed in their level of resistance to this pathogen. Each of the 10 fungal strains had distinct genotypes as indicated by different DNA fingerprints. These fungal strains were re‐inoculated onto the same two host cultivars in a field experiment and their genotype frequencies were monitored over several generations of asexual reproduction. We also measured the virulence of these 10 fungal strains and correlated it to the reproductive fitness of each fungal strain. We found that host genotypes had a strong impact on the dynamics of the pathogen populations. The pathogen population collected from the moderately resistant cultivar Madsen showed greater stability, higher genotype diversity, and smaller selection coefficients than the pathogen populations collected from the susceptible cultivar Stephens or a mixture of the two host cultivars. The pathogen collection from the mixed host population was midway between the two pure lines for most parameters measured. Our results also revealed that the measures of reproductive fitness and virulence of a pathogen strain were not always correlated. The pathogen strains varied in their patterns of local adaptation, ranging from locally adapted to locally maladapted.     

黑龙江省葫芦科白粉病菌RAPD分析

2010年采集黑龙江省不同生态区不同设施内的甜瓜、黄瓜、南瓜、西瓜等瓜类白粉病菌菌株17份,采用国际通用的瓜类白粉病菌生理小种鉴别寄主对17份白粉病菌进行了生理小种鉴定。根据13个鉴别寄主的抗感反应,初步确定黑龙江省葫芦科作物白粉病菌存在3个生理小种,即单囊壳白粉菌Podosphaera xanthii的生理小种1和生理小种N1号及一个新生理小种,其中生理小种1为优势小种。通过对13份白粉病菌的RAPD分析,从119个随机引物中筛选出10个条带清晰而且重复性好的引物,扩增得到157个位点,其中多态性位点为138个,多态性位点频率为97.89%,表明黑龙江省葫芦科作物白粉菌具有丰富的遗传多样性。利用NTSYS-PC软件进行数据分析,结果表明13个菌株之间遗传相似系数的变化幅度为0.52－0.75。根据遗传相似系数用类平均法（UPGMA）对其聚类,以遗传相似系数0.60为阈值,供试菌株可区分为4个类群。同是生理小种1的菌株部分聚到了同一类,新生理小种与部分生理小种1菌株聚到同一类,同是生理小种N1的两个菌株未聚到同一类;相同地理来源或相同寄主来源的白粉菌也未聚到一类。初步确定葫芦科白粉病菌致病性与DNA多态性不形成对应关系,菌株的遗传多样性与菌株地理来源、寄主来源及设施类型亦无明显的直接关系。     

RACIAL EVOLUTION IN ELEUSINE CORACANA SSP. CORACANA (FINGER MILLET)

Eleusine coracana ssp. coracana (finger millet, eleusine) is widely distributed in Africa and India as a cereal. The crop is cultivated in diverse eco-geographical areas. Over this range of distribution, eleusine displays high variability in vegetative, floral and seed morphology. The intent of this study is to establish correlations between morphology and distribution, and to determine the intraspecific taxonomy of the crop. Three eco-geographical races were determined: (1) an African highland race which is cultivated in the East African highlands, (2) a lowland race which is grown in the lowlands of Africa and South India, and (3) an Indian race with its center of distribution in Northeast India. In addition to these basic races, an Indian highland type was identified. The African highland race is the most primitive from which the lowland race evolved. The latter race was subsequently introduced to southern India where a secondary center of diversity became established. The Indian race originated from the lowland race, while the North Indian highland type can be derived from either or both of the two basic races in India. This study indicated that natural selection played a major role in the evolution of the crop. Artificial selection, although significant, was restricted within the limits imposed on it by the ultimate adaptation of the races to their environments.     

Host-pathogen diversity in a wild system: Chondrilla juncea–Puccinia chondrillina

The resistance structure of a Turkish population of the clonal, apomictic composite Chondrilla juncea and the pathotypic structure of a co-occurring population of its obligate rust pathogen, Puccinia chondrillina, was determined by sequential inoculation of 19 host lines with 15 pathogen isolates each derived from single pustules collected from separate plants among the host population. The resultant matrix of resistant and susceptible reactions provides strong circumstantial evidence for a gene-for-gene interaction. Seven distinct pathotypes were detected in the pathogen population. One of these comprised 53% of the population, a second comprised 13%, while the remaining five pathotypes were each detected only once. The host population was similarly diverse, being composed of eight resistance phenotypes, only two of which were represented by more than one host line. Although C. juncea is apomictic, there was only 58% congruence between host resistance and multi-locus isozyme phenotype categories within this population. Pathotypic phenotypes of 13 other isolates of P. chondrillina collected from ten other Turkish and three more distant populations of C. juncea were markedly different from those found in the population studied in detail. There was no obvious relationship between the degree of geographic separation of pathotypes and their ability to attack particular C. juncea lines in this or three other populations represented by single host lines. Received: 10 March 1997 / Accepted: 4 August 1997     

Evaluation of Durum Wheat Genotypes for Resistance against Root Rot Disease Caused by Moroccan Fusarium culmorum Isolates

Fusarium culmorum is one of the most important causal agents of root rot of wheat. In this study, 10 F. culmorum isolates were collected from farms located in five agro-ecological regions of Morocco. These were used to challenge 20 durum wheat genotypes via artificial inoculation of plant roots under controlled conditions. The isolate virulence was determined by three traits (roots browning index, stem browning index, and severity of root rot). An alpha-lattice design with three replicates was used, and the resulting ANOVA revealed a significant (P < 0.01) effect of isolate (I), genotype (G), and G × I interaction. A total of four response types were observed (R, MR, MS, and S) revealing that different genes in both the pathogen and the host were activated in 53% of interactions. Most genotypes were susceptible to eight or more isolates, while the Moroccan cultivar Marouan was reported resistant to three isolates and moderately resistant to three others. Similarly, the Australian breeding line SSD1479-117 was reported resistant to two isolates and moderately resistant to four others. The ICARDA elites Icaverve, Berghisyr, Berghisyr2, Amina, and Icaverve2 were identified as moderately resistant. Principal component analysis based on the genotypes responses defined two major clusters and two sub-clusters for the 10 F. culmorum isolates. Isolate Fc9 collected in Khemis Zemamra was the most virulent while isolate Fc3 collected in Haj-Kaddour was the least virulent. This work provides initial results for the discovery of differential reactions between the durum lines and isolates and the identification of novel sources of resistance.     

Characterization of Isolates of Bacterial Blight of Cotton (Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum) from Nicaragua

Seeds from cotton plants infected with Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum were collected in different parts of Nicaragua in 1986. When the seeds were homogenized the pathogen could not always be identified by dilution plating. Therefore, an enrichment of bacteria on the natural host was induced before isolation. The cotton seeds were shaken with water and sand for 2 days and then sown in sand for germination. Rather often the developing cotyledons showed typical water-soaked spots, from which the pathogen could be isolated easily. This new method needed more time but made it possible to detect a low level of bacterial infestation. Altogether, 42 bacterial isolates were obtained. For inoculation experiments suspensions with 5x10⁵ CFU - ml^?1 were infiltrated into cotton leaves. Incubations of inoculated plants in growth chambers, but not in greenhouses, resulted in typical and uniform disease symptoms (water-soaked leaf spots). Nine of the ten cotton differentials tested were highly susceptible to all the 42 bacterial isolates. Since only line 101-102B proved to be resistant, the Nicaraguan isolates of bacterial blight of cotton were characterized as race 18, of the pathogen. The main cotton cultivars grown in Nicaragua (H-373 and G-286) were strongly affected by the isolated bacterial strains. In order to reduce the disease incidence in Nicaragua, the cultivation of resistant cotton varieties is suggested.     

Pathogen populations evolve to greater race complexity in agricultural systems--evidence from analysis of Rhynchosporium secalis virulence data

Fitness cost associated with pathogens carrying unnecessary virulence alleles is the fundamental assumption for preventing the emergence of complex races in plant pathogen populations but this hypothesis has rarely been tested empirically on a temporal and spatial scale which is sufficient to distinguish evolutionary signals from experimental error. We analyzed virulence characteristics of ≈ 1000 isolates of the barley pathogen Rhynchosporium secalis collected from different parts of the United Kingdom between 1984 and 2005. We found a gradual increase in race complexity over time with a significant correlation between sampling date and race complexity of the pathogen (r(20) = 0.71, p = 0.0002) and an average loss of 0.1 avirulence alleles (corresponding to an average gain of 0.1 virulence alleles) each year. We also found a positive and significant correlation between barley cultivar diversity and R. secalis virulence variation. The conditions assumed to favour complex races were not present in the United Kingdom and we hypothesize that the increase in race complexity is attributable to the combination of natural selection and genetic drift. Host resistance selects for corresponding virulence alleles to fixation or dominant frequency. Because of the weak fitness penalty of carrying the unnecessary virulence alleles, genetic drift associated with other evolutionary forces such as hitch-hiking maintains the frequency of the dominant virulence alleles even after the corresponding resistance factors cease to be used.     

HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS IN NATURAL POPULATIONS OF LINUM MARGINALE AND MELAMPSORA LINI: I. PATTERNS OF RESISTANCE AND RACIAL VARIATION IN A LARGE HOST POPULATION

Populations of wild flax, Linum marginale and its associated rust fungus Melampsora lini growing at Kiandra, New South Wales, Australia, were sampled during the 1986–1987 growing season. Thirteen different races of M. lini were detected in a sample of 96 isolates. The distribution of isolates was uneven: race A comprised 73% of the samples; race N, 8%; and race H, 5%; while the remaining races were represented by only one or two samples. The dominance of race A increased over the course of the growing season, comprising 67% of the early season samples and increasing to 78% for those collected late in the season. The overall diversity of the pathogen population decreased late in the growing season, but this trend was not statistically significant. The average virulence of individual isolates of the pathogen population increased during the growing season. This trend was most pronounced among the minor races, where the mean number of differential hosts infected increased from 4.58 for early season samples to 5.12 and 5.08 for mid and late season samples, respectively. In contrast to the virulence pattern in the pathogen, the L. marginale population displayed a more even distribution of resistance. In a sample of 67 plants 10 resistance phenotypes were detected from their pattern of resistance/susceptibility to seven pathogen isolates. No phenotype had a frequency that exceeded 30%. Resistance phenotypes were randomly distributed on both a population level and on a fine scale.     

Characterisation of populations of Sclerospora graminicola

Nine cultivars of pearl millet were inoculated with 12 collections of Sclerospora graminicola from various locations in Africa and India in a series of experiments which constituted an almost balanced incomplete block design spanning an entire growing season. The character of each pathogen population was defined in terms of incidence of disease on the hosts. Generally the pathogen collections from the sub-Sahel regions of West Africa were more pathogenic than those from Senegal, Zambia or India. All but one host cultivar possessed relative resistance which decreased as the overall pathogenicity of the collections increased. There was one notable exception which exhibited stable resistance to all the pathogen collections tested and may have potential for future resistance breeding programmes.     

Molecular phylogeny of Rigidoporus microporus isolates associated with white rot disease of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis)

Rigidoporus microporus (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) syn. Rigidoporus lignosus is the most destructive root pathogen of rubber plantations distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Our primary objective was to characterize Nigerian isolates from rubber tree and compare them with other West African, Southeast Asian and American isolates. To characterize the 20 isolates from Nigeria, we used sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS and LSU, β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) gene sequences. Altogether, 40 isolates of R. microporus were included in the analyses. Isolates from Africa, Asia and South/Central America formed three distinctive clades corresponding to at least three species. No phylogeographic pattern was detected among R. microporus collected from West and Central African rubber plantations suggesting continuous gene flow among these populations. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests the presence of two distinctive species associated with the white rot disease. Phylogenetic analyses placed R. microporus in the Hymenochaetales in the vicinity of Oxyporus. This is the first study to characterize R. microporus isolates from Nigeria through molecular phylogenetic techniques, and also the first to compare isolates from rubber plantations in Africa and Asia.     

Potato Cultivar, Pathogen Isolate and Antagonist Cultivation Medium Influence the Efficacy and Ranking of Bacterial Antagonists of Fusarium Dry Rot

The process of selecting biological control agents for further development frequently does not involve conducting bioassays of strain effectiveness on a range of pathogen isolates or host cultivars. Additionally, though previous studies have demonstrated that the medium used to produce biomass of an antagonist can alter its efficacy, this factor is also rarely considered when selecting for the most effective antagonist. Host cultivar, pathogen isolate, and the cultivation medium used to produce the antagonists' biomass were examined as factors of potential importance for assessing the relative effectiveness of bacterial biocontrol strains accurately. Five bacterial antagonists that control Fusarium dry rot on stored potato tubers were assayed for effectiveness against 10 isolates of Gibberella pulicaris . All antagonists reduced disease severity (35-81%) regardless of the specific assays conducted. However, when the antagonists' biomass were produced on two media that differed both in nutrient composition and phase, the efficacy ranking of antagonist Enterobacter sp. S11:P:08 varied from first to fourth most effective. For the antagonists studied, the phase of a nutritionally identical medium had little impact on the efficacy ranking of the five antagonists. Four of the five antagonists had efficacy rankings that ranged from first to last depending on the isolate of the pathogen used to conduct the bioassay. The cultivar of the host also caused variations in the efficacy ranking of the antagonists. These results indicate that bioassays should be conducted using a range of liquid culture production media, pathogen isolates, and host cultivars in order to choose an antagonist that has the highest likelihood for commercial development as an effective biological control product.     

Relationship of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci races to the rhizosphere of Wisconsin-grown tobacco

Isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, including 21 strains of the wildfire pathogen and 2 strains of the angular leafspot pathogen, were isolated from 143 rhizosphere and soil samples collected from 11 tobacco fields in Wisconsin. These pathogens were isolated by inoculating rhizosphere and soil washings into tobacco leaves and isolating the bacteria from wildfire or angular leafspot lesions that developed on the leaves. The wildfire isolates were from the rhizospheres of tobacco and Panicum capillare and from soil. While the majority of these were from wildfire-diseased fields, one isolate was from a field without disease symptoms; both angular leafspot isolates were from fields without angular leafspot symptoms. The majority of wildfire isolates were race 1, but three were race 0, and one was a new race. In three fields multiple races of wildfire were found. Both angular leafspot isolates were race 1. Two wildfire and one angular leafspot isolates were from fields where the cultivars were resistant to the races isolated.