Healthy seeds and cultivars tolerant to Bacteria Soft Rot for the safe production of potato

This review explores the impact of soft rot bacteria, particularly Pectobacterium and Pseudomonas, on potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), a crucial staple crop worldwide. Potatoes lost due to infection by Pectobacteria, causing soft rot, represent a significant challenge in potato cultivation, affecting both seed and marketable tuber production, reducing crop quality and threatening food security.

Pathogens can pose a serious threat to plants during the early stages of seed production. The presence of Pectobacteria in seed potatoes in Russia is strictly regulated by national standards, such as GOST 33996-2016 and GOST R 59551-2021. However, these standards do not address other soft-rot bacteria, like Pseudomonas, that pose a significant risk to healthy seed tuber production. This study aims to investigate the interaction between Pseudomonas D9, a soft rot pathogen found on potato tubers, and two other harmful bacteria, Pectobacterium brasiliense and P. atrosepticum. The goal is to understand the factors that influence the multiplication of these bacteria and the development of soft rot on potatoes. To do this, the experiment involves incubating potato samples with various combinations of these three bacteria at different temperatures (5–30 degrees Celsius) for 72 hours. The results show that when the temperature is above 24 degrees Celsius, the Pectobacterium strains show more signs of soft rot. However, in the presence of Pseudomonas D9, soft rot is favored by a lower temperature. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring mixed infections in order to control soft rot and minimize potato yield losses. Future research could focus on developing strategies to reduce the impact of this disease on food security.