Table Of ContentMendel University in Brno 
Faculty of Agriculture 
Department of Crop Science, Breeding and Plant Medicine 
 
 
 
 
 
Resistance of edible tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to the 
pathogen Xanthomonas vesicatoria 
 
 
 
Thesis supervisor:                     Author of the thesis: 
Ing. Jana Víchová.Ph.D.              Vedran Milosavljević 
 
Brno 2012 
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STATEMENT  
  I declare that I have worked my diploma thesis independently, and I used only 
source, that quote and mention in the attached list literature. 
  I agree, that the diploma thesis be enclosed in the library of Agricultural faculty, 
Mendel University in Brno and available for the purpose of education. 
 
                                                                   
Day…………………………………………….. 
 
                                          Signature of student……………………………
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LETTER OF THANKS 
I  would  like  to  thank  my  thesis  supervisor  Ing.  Jana  Víchová,  Ph.D.  for 
professional  leadership  in  solving  the  problems  related  to  my  diploma  thesis,  for 
interesting, time and suggestion during the writing.  
I thank my parents, who are supported me and helped during the study. 
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ABSTRACT 
Resistance  of  edible  tomato  (Solanum  lycopersicum  L.)  to  the 
pathogen Xanthomonas vesicatoria 
The  aim  of  research  was  to  determine  the  level  of  virulence  of  four 
Xanthomonas vesicatoria strains for further resistance tests of ten tomato varieties to 
this bacterial pathogen. The high level of virulence was determined in strains LMG 934 
a CFBP 2537. The varieties Start and Pedro showed the highest resistence to bacterial 
spot. On the contrary, the varieties Pavlína, Toro, Stupické polní rané and Zlatava were 
evaluated as highly susceptible. The varieties Darinka, Denár, Šejk and Semaprim could 
be considered as moderately susceptible. 
Key words: bacterial spot, Xanthomonas vesicatoria,virulence,resistance. 
ABSTRAKT 
V roce 2011 byla v laboratorních podmínkách hodnocena virulence čtyř kmenů 
Xanthomonas vesicatoria a rezistence 10 odrůd  rajčete. Nejvyšší hladina virulence byla 
zjištěna u kmenů LMG 934 a CFBP 2537, střední hladina virulence byla zjištěna u 
kmene LMG 667 a nejnižší u kmene CCM 2102. Kmeny s vysokou hladinou virulence 
byly použity v testech na rezistenci. Z testovaných odrůd poměrně vysokou hladinu 
rezistence ke X. vesicatoria  vykazovaly odrůdy Start a Pedro, naproti tomu nízkou 
hladinu rezistence vykazovaly odrůdy Pavlína, Toro, Stupické polní rané a Zlatava. 
Střední hladinu rezistence vykazovaly odrůdy Darinka, Denár, Šejk a Semaprim. 
Klíčová slova: bakteriální skvrnitost, Xanthomonas vesicatoria, virulence, rezistence 
 
 
 
 
 
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CONTENTS 
 
1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................7 
2. AIMS OF DIPLOMA THESIS.........................................................................9 
3. LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................10 
3.4 Diseases of tomato.....................................................................................10 
3.4.1 Bacterial disease.................................................................................10 
3.4.2 Basic characteristics of phytopathogenic bacteria..............................11 
3.4.3 Development of disease in plants.......................................................12 
3.4.4 Dissemination of the pathogen...........................................................13 
3.4.5 Symptoms caused by bacteria.............................................................13 
3.4.6 Diagnosis of disease...........................................................................14 
3.4.7 Control and management of bacterial disease....................................14 
3.4.8 Bacterial pathogens of tomato............................................................15 
3.5 Bacterial spot of tomato............................................................................26 
3.5.1 Taxonomy...........................................................................................26 
3.5.2 General characteristics of the pathogen..............................................26 
3.5.3 Host of the pathogen...........................................................................28 
3.5.4 Symptoms of the pathogens................................................................28 
3.5.5 Epidemiology of the pathogen............................................................29 
3.5.6 Isolation and identification of the pathogen.......................................30 
3.5.7 Management and control of pathogen................................................31 
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4. THE AIM OF PRACTICAL WORK..............................................................36 
5. METHODS AND MATERIALS....................................................................37 
5.1 General part...............................................................................................37 
5.2 Virulence of strain Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria...................38 
5.3  Determination  of  resistance  at  selected  varieties  of  tomato  to  the  
Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria........................................................39 
6. RESULTS.......................................................................................................41 
6.1 Assessment of virulence to the strain Xanthomonas vesicatoria..............41 
6.2  Determination  of  resistance  to  the  Xanthomonas  campestris  pv. 
vesicatoria on selected varieties of tomato.....................................................43 
7. DISCUSSION.................................................................................................47 
8. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................49 
9. LITERATURE................................................................................................50 
10. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL........................................................................57 
 
 
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1. INTRODUCTION 
 
Plant  pathology  is  defined  as  the  study  of  the  organisms  and  enviromental 
conditions  that  causes  disease  in  plants,the  mechanisms  by  which  this  occurs,  the 
interactions between these causal agents and the plant (effects on planth growth,yield 
and quality) and the methods of managing or controlling plant disease. It olso interfaces 
knowledge  from  other    scientific  fields  such  as 
mycology,microbiology,virology,biochemistry and bioinformatics. 
Plant  disease  caused  by  biotic  and  abiotic  factors  represente  a  significant 
problem in intesive agricultural production and garden production. Despite the progress 
of  phytopathology,  activities  of  experts  and  producers,and  a  large  number  od 
preparations  for  plant  protection,we  are  still  witnesess  by  temporary  occurrence  of  
certain  disease  with  significant  intensity.  Their  occurrence  causes  multiple 
effects,including  the  reduced  of  economic  effects  of  productions,loss  of  yield  and 
quality. 
However,we are often confronted with the consequences occurred indirectly as a 
result of inappropriate or excessive use of chemicals preparation for plant protection 
and their negative influence on humans and environment. Because of this imperativ of 
research in plant protection need to ensure effective shield to protect the plant from 
causal agents in order to achieve high yields,with preservation of human health and 
nature. 
One  of  direction  in  finding  solutions  is  also  finding  alternatives  to  not  use 
chemical  substances  for  protection  of  plants,because  the  chemical  substances  are 
potential  contaminants  of  food  and  life  environment.  We  need  to  ensure  equally 
effective replacement for chemical substances and find new solution which will be 
environmentally acceptable and economically justified. Recent research indicate that 
among the biological agents,widespread in the nature,exist organisms with parasitic and 
antibiotics potential which can be effectively used in plant protection. 
Phytopathogenic  bacteria,according  the  dangers  they  represent  in 
production,take place at the top of the list causal agents of plant diseases. So far is 
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known about 1600 species of bacteria,of which about 100 are inducers of plant diseases 
(Agrios,2005). 
Their  control  represents  a  great  challenge  in  agricultural  practices,especially 
under  conditions  favorable  for  the  emergenceand  spread  of  infection.  Control 
populations of phytopathogenic bacteria based on the prophylactic  and therapeutic 
measures of struggles. 
My diploma thesis was done as part of project: NAZV Mze ČR QH 71229 
“Diagnostika  a  metody  integrované  ochrane  rostlin  proti  karanténním  a  dalším 
ekonomicky významným patogenům plodové a listové zeleniny”. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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2. AIMS OF DIPLOMA THESIS 
 
Obective of diploma thesis „Resistance of edible tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 
L.) to the pathogen Xanthomonas vesicatoria”are: 
•  Preparation of literature review 
•  Inoculation method for evaluating the pathogenicity 
•  Determine the level of virulence strains of Xanthomonas vesicatoria 
•  Determine the level of resistance in selected varieties of tomatoes 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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3. LITERATURE REVIEW 
3.4 Diseases of tomato 
3.4.1 Bacterial disease  
  Today  in  modern  agricultural  that  we  could  understand  how  plant  disease 
develop and function, we need to understanding the taxonomy of plant pathogenic 
organisms. This is very important that we understand their biology and the best way to 
control disease (Steven et al., 2007). 
  The causes of disease that occurs in plants are very similar to human and animal 
disease in their development. Sources of disease in plants can be different such as: 
pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and environmental 
conditions. Plant pathology is the study of plant disease. They study the pathogenic of 
microorganisms and abiotic factors which causes plant diseases, the mechanism of their 
occurrence, interaction between causal agents and diseased plants, and finding measures 
for their control (Agrios, 1997). 
  Bacteria as plant pathogens can cause many disease, ranging from spots, mosaic 
patterns or pustules on leaves and fruits, or smelly tuber rots to plant death, hormone 
based distortion of leaves and shoots called fasciation, or crown gall, a proliferation of 
plant cells producing a swelling at the intersection of steam and soil and on roots (Sarah 
et al., 2011). 
  Today  the  most  important  bacterial  disease  of  tomato  is:  Bacterial  canker 
(Clavibacter  michiganensis  subsp.  michiganensis),  Bacterial  speck  (Pseudomonas 
syringae pv. tomato), Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria), Tomato 
pith necrosis (Pseudomonas corrugate), (Steven, T. K et al., 2007). 
   
   
 
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Description:effective replacement for chemical substances and find new solution which will be environmentally acceptable and  Gram-positive bacteria are classified within the Phylum Actinobacteria, or Gram- negative in the  for manual and mechanized harvesting especially in lighter soil, with water shortages