Characteristics of Strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum from the French West Indies. P. Prior, Research Plant Pathologist, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Station de Pathologie Végétale, de Phytoécologie et de Malherbologie, BP 1232, 97184, Pointe à Pitre Cedex, Guadeloupe, French West Indies. H. Steva, Research Plant Pathologist, Institut de Recherches Agronomiques Tropicales et des Cultures Vivrières, CIRAD, BP 427, 97204, Fort de France, Martinique, French West Indies. Plant Dis. 74:13-17. Accepted for publication 18 January 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-74-0013.

Twenty-four strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum isolated from five host plants at different locations in Martinique and Guadeloupe were compared with respect to results of physiological and biochemical tests and to pathogenicity on seven different hosts. On the basis of Hayward’s classification, six strains were placed in biovar I, one in biovar II, and 17 in biovar III. On the basis of pathogenicity tests, all but one of the 24 strains were placed in race 1; the exception (from Guadeloupe) was placed in race 3.