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Etiology

The Interaction of Four Bacteria Causing Pink Disease of Pineapple with Several Pineapple Cultivars. K. G. Rohrbach, Associate Plant Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822; J. B. Pfeiffer, Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822. Phytopathology 66:396-399. Accepted for publication 8 October 1975. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-66-396.

Four bacterial isolates representing three genera, Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, and Enterobacter caused pink disease of pineapple fruit. Each genus exhibited slight differences in symptoms in uncooked fruit. The Gluconobacter-type symptom was characterized by a "cantaloupe-like" aroma and a light- to bright-pinkish color of the raw fruit flesh. The Acetobacter type was characterized by no aroma and a light- to dark-brown color. The Enterobacter-type symptom did not exhibit any pink or brown discoloration of infected tissues prior to cooking. All types produced dark browning of the fruit flesh following cooking. All isolates were consistently reisolated from fruit showing typical symptoms. The Enterobacter type was the most virulent. One isolate of the Gluconobacter type was highly virulent, but the other isolate was only weakly virulent. Virulence varied significantly relative to harvest period, cultivar, and isolate.