Maka Muradashvili
Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia
Title: Studying potato bacterial diseases, caused by Pectobacterium and Dickeya species in Georgia
Biography
Biography: Maka Muradashvili
Abstract
Potato is an important commodity in Georgia. However, the potato’s average yield is low (12 t/ha). One of the significant reasons for this is bacterial diseases. During the 2020-2021 surveys were collected the samples of infected plant stems and potato tubers from depositaries and fields, in the villages located in Kobuleti (10 m above sea level), Khulo, Akhalkalaki (at an altitude of 900-1200 m above sea level), and Goderdzi Pass (2025 m above sea level).Within the framework of the project funded by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation's 2019 Young Scientists Research Grant, I had the opportunity to study for the first time the distribution area of potato soft rot, the species structure of the disease causal agent, and determine the biodiversity of the internal population, which is spread in different potato producing regions of Georgia: Adjara (Khulo, Keda, Kobuleti) and Samtskhe-Javakheti (Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe). Analyzing the collected 75 samples, 54 isolates were identified using the study's classical and modern molecular biology methods. 33 isolates of which belonged to Dickeya spp. species of which 27 corresponded to D. Solani (Kob.5.20, Akh.8.20, Akh.12.20, Kh.13.20) and seven isolates were identified as a Pectobacterium spp. The study found that potato blackleg and soft rot were most common in the municipality of Kobuleti (Tsetskhlauri, Gvara, Jikhanjuri), Khulo (Tabakhmela, Dioknisi, Update, Shuasopeli, Cheri, Dzmagula, Pachkha, Kinchauli, and Akhaltsikhe (Vale, Tsnisi, Skhvilisi) and the majority of disease-causing agents (70%) belonged to Dickeya spp. and among them, one of the most aggressive species in the Europe D. solani. The research conducted was interdisciplinary as it included phytopathological, microbiological, biochemical, and molecular biology research methods. Therefore, the results of the research are equally interesting and useful for agrarian and natural sciences, as well as for students of the Faculty of Agrarian and Natural Sciences. Importantly, part of the project research was carried out with the participation of leading scientists from the Plant Protection Institute of the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Gilati Research Center in Israel, which created a precondition for future fruitful cooperation, which will undoubtedly contribute to the university's Phyto pathological direction and development to modern standards. As a result of the research, new information and materials were accumulated to continue further research to develop measures to combat potato mild rot disease.