Bacterial grease-spot disease of passion-fruit

Abstract

An outbreak was investigated of an assumedly new disease of passion-fruit vines—the so-called hard grease-spat—which occurred in the North Island of New Zealand during 1961-2. With some minor differences in symptoms, the disease has now been equated with the common grease-spot described from the same district 25 years ago. The reappearance of the disease probably results from changed cultural practices, particularly the recent shift away from copper-containing sprays. The causal agent is a relatively slow-growing, green fluorescent pseudomonad which, after thorough comparative study, is referred to Pseudomonas passiflorae (Reid 1938) Burkholder 1948. An updated description of the pathogen is presented, together with some previously undescribed aspects of the disease. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.