Systemic Migration and Establishment of Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni in Plum Leaves and Twigs

The systemic migration of Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni (Xcp) through vascular bundles of leaves and twigs of plum was investigated. A rifampicin-resistant strain of Xcp was inoculated into leaves located midway from the tip of new green twigs of Golden King plum trees in a glasshouse. High numbers of the pathogen were recovered 4 and 8 weeks after inoculation from sections of uninoculated and symptomless veins, petioles, and twig tissue. Symptoms of bacterial spot developedwithin 8 weeks on main and secondary veins of uninoculated leaves located as far as 13 cm from the inoculated leaf on the same twig. Weekly isolation indicated the constant presence of Xcp in apparently unaffected shields of twig tissue obtained from a naturally infected Golden King orchard. Xcp apparently enters plum twigs through veins of infected leaves and migrates systemically through twigs to leaves.