Kanosh Mohammad Alali ^1*

1 The third faculty of agriculture in al Quneitra, Damascus University, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Kanosh Alali, Email: Kanosh2.alali@Damascusuniversity.edu.sy.)

Received: 20/ 7/ 2025       Accepted: 23/ 11/ 2025

Abstract

Potato tubers were collected from fields and local markets in Sweida Governorate, placed in special conditions (high relative humidity, low temperature, and in the dark) until symptoms of soft rot appeared. Then, the pathogen was isolated in the laboratory of the College of Agriculture in Sweida. The isolated strains were subjected to some biochemical tests. It was found that the catalase test, starch and gelatin hydrolysis test, and Voges Prokauer test were positive, while the oxidase, indole, and amino acid hydrolysis tests were negative.  The cultural characteristics of the colonies were also studied under a light microscope. They appeared white, small, round, smooth, sticky, and mucous. The bacterial cells were motile after their movement was monitored in a motility test medium. The characteristics of the studied isolates were consistent with those of the genus Erwinia and the species E. carotovora, which became known as Pectobacterium carotovorum.

Keywords: Soft rot bacteria, potato, Erwinia genus, chemical and biological tests.

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