Influence of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria on quality parameters of pepper seed from Serbia

The present study focused on detecting bacteria of the Xanthomonas spp. complex (X. euvesicatoria, X. vesicatoria, X. perforans and X. gardneri) and examining their influence on certain quality parameters of pepper seed collected from the territory of Smederevska Palanka (Serbia). The analysis included 27 non-commercial pepper seed genotypes (including chili and sweet pepper) collected in 2021. Several parameters of the quality of analyzed pepper seed (germination energy, total germination, moisture and seed health) were determined. The results showed that out of a total of 27 analyzed samples of pepper seed, the presence of X. euvesicatoria was detected in 13 of them. The presence of X. vesicatoria, X. gardneri and X. perforans was not confirmed. Germination energy of infected seed was 52-84%, and of bacteria-free seed 63-90%; total germination of infected seed was 66-91%, and of bacteria-free seed 80-95%. Seed moisture of infected seed samples was 6.1-12%, and of bacteria-free seed 6.2-8.1%. These parameters did not show significant statistical difference (p>0.05). The presence of seed-borne fungi Fusarium sp. accounted for up to 3% in 25 samples, while it was up to 6% in the remaining two; Alternaria sp. ranked from 1-4% in 25 samples, and up to 5% in only two samples. The results led to a conclusion that the bacterium X. euvesicatoria is the predominant pathogen of the Xanthomonas spp. complex, but it did not affect the quality parameters of the tested pepper seed.
U ovom radu izvršena je detekcija bakterija iz kompleksa Xanthomonas (X. euvesicatoria, X. vesicatoria, X. perforans i X. gardneri) i ispitan uticaj prisustva bakterija na određene parametre kvaliteta semena paprike poreklom sa teritorije Smederevske Palanke (Srbija). Analiza je obuhvatila 27 nekomercijalnih genotipova semena paprike (uključujući čili i slatku papriku) prikupljenih u sezoni 2021. godine. U radu su ocenjeni parametri kvaliteta semena paprike i to energija klijanja, ukupna klijavost, vlaga i zdravstvena ispravnost. Rezultati su pokazali da je od ukupno 27 analiziranih uzoraka semena paprike, prisustvo X. euvesicatoria detektovano kod ukupno 13 uzoraka. Prisustvo X. vesicatoria, X. gardneri i X. perforans nije utvrđeno ni u jednom uzorku semena paprike. Energija klijanja zaraženog semena je iznosila od 52-84%, a kod semena bez prisustva bakterija od 63-90%; ukupna klijavost u zaraženom semenu je bila od 66-91%, a u semenu bez prisustva bakterija 80-95%. Vlažnost semena u zaraženim uzorcima je iznosila 6,1-12%, a u uzorcima bez prisustva bakterija između 6,2-8,1%. Utvrđivani parametri kvaliteta se nisu značajno razlikovali na statističkom nivou (p>0,05). Prisustvo fitopatogenih gljiva koje se prenose semenom je utvrđeno u svim uzorcima semena paprike, i to Fusarium sp. do 3% kod ukupno 25 uzoraka, dok je kod dva uzorka zaraza bila i do 6%; prisustvo Alternaria sp. je bilo od 1-4% kod ukupno 25, a kod dva uzorka više, do 5%. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da je bakterija X. euvesicatoria dominantan patogen iz kompleksa Xanthomonas vrsta, ali da utvrđeno prisustvo nije značajno uticalo na parametre kvaliteta semena paprike