STUDIES ON FIRE BLIGHT (ERWINIA AMYLOVORA (BURR.) WINSLOW ET AL.) ON POME FRUIT TREES IN KONYA PROVINCE IN TURKEY

Fire blight is, one the most destructive diseases of pome fruits in Turkey, detected firstly on pear in 1985 in Afyon province. Later, nation-wide surveys were initiated to determine the disease incidence. With the aim of determining the extension of fire blight disease on pome fruit trees in Konya province, the surveys were carried out on pear, apple and quince orchards between May and September in 1997. Erwinia amylovora (Burr.) Winslow et al. was isolated and identified from the trees which showed fire blight disease symptoms. Identification of the pathogen was based on the levan colonies on 5% sucrose nutrient agar, not producing fluorescence in King's B medium, reactions against some biochemical tests, hypersensitive reaction on Nicotiana tobaccum, milky ooze on immature pear slices. The disease was more destructive on pear and quince trees than apple trees. According to survey results; the ratios of fire blight incidence and prevalence were 57,80% and 83,80% on pears, 22,40% and 50,90% on apples, 92,50% and 91,70% on quince respectively. It appears that fire blight is an important problem for pome fruits in the region where it is becoming increasingly wide spread.