BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND EFFECT OF BACTERIAL BLIGHT ON MICRO AND MACRO NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION IN POMEGRANATE
MUHAMMAD RASHID
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan
SOBIA CHOHAN *
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan
MUHAMMAD SAJID
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan
SHEHZAD IQBAL
Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, Universidad De Talca, Talca, Chile
MUSTANSAR MUBEEN
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
MUHAMMAD MEHTAB
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
AMMARA FAROOQ
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Sargodha Campus, Pakistan
AQLEEM ABBAS
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, P. R. China
ZAHEER KHALID
Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
MUNAWAR SAEED
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
IQRA MUBEEN
Key Lab of Integrated Crop Disease and Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, P. R. China
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Bacterial blight is a serious disease of pomegranate. The disease affects the yield and quality of pomegranate fruits. In this present work, we investigated the biochemical characterization and role of micro and macro nutrients in diseased and healthy leaves of pomegranate. Pathogen was isolated infected leaves, twigs and fruits and grown on different culture media. Different biochemical tests (Gram staining, KOH, catalase, oxidase, starch hydrolysis, gelatin liquefaction) were performed to identify the bacteria. All these tests confirm the presence of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv punicae. Pathogenicity was done in the greenhouse using three different methods (Pin-pricked, infiltration and spray method) and symptoms appeared in 8 days; and infiltration method showed early symptoms compared to the spray and pin prick method. Ionic contents (Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Boron, Zinc and Copper) are reduced by using these nutrients for the growth, multiplication and survival of pathogenic bacteria. Proper application of these nutrients helps the host plant to improve its physiological and biochemical development and resistance to bacterial blight disease in pomegranate.
Keywords: Bacterial blight, pomegranate, biochemical characterization, micro and macro nutrient