New Erwinia variants require more knowledge and specific tests

For quite some time now, we’ve known two types of Erwinia bacteria, namely Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica and Erwinia chrysanthemi. They are/were responsible for the Black leg and Stem wet rot potato diseases. However, the names of these pathogenic bacteria have been changed. Furthermore, Erwinia variants that didn’t exist or hardly existed before have crept into the cultivation of seed potatoes and can also cause bacterial infections. The question now is what happens when these bacterial diseases occur and what is the importance of research into the diversity of these rot bacteria in order to control them in the cultivation of potatoes.