Experiments on the control of black-leg disease of potato by disinfection of seed tubers with mercury compounds and streptomycin

Black-leg disease of potato, caused by the bacteriumPectobacterium carotovorum var.atrosepticum (Erwinia atroseptica) is very widespread in potato stocks in Scotland, but under the prevailing environmental conditions the disease rarely reaches epidemic proportions and is not usually considered to be a serious problem. But when seed tubers are exported from Scotland and grown in warmer countries such as Israel, epidemics of black-leg are liable to develop, and attempts have been made to control these outbreaks by surface disinfection of the whole seed with solutions of several chemical substances.