Epiphytic Survival of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and P. s. tomato on Tomato Transplants in Southern Georgia. A. E. Voloudakis, Former Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, GA 31793. R. D. Gitaitis, J. K. Westbrook, S. C. Phatak, and S. M. McCarter. Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Meteorologist, USDA-ARS, IBPMRL, Professor, Department of Horticulture, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, GA 31793; and Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602. Plant Dis. 75:672-675. Accepted for publication 10 December 1990. Copyright 1991 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-75-0672.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and P. s. tomato survived epiphytically on inoculated tomatoes grown for transplants in Tifton, Georgia, in April and May of 1988 and 1989. Populations of P. s. tomato declined faster as temperatures increased than did those of P. s. syringae. Populations of P. s. syringae were larger than those of P. s. tomato throughout the season. However, P. s. syringae was isolated most often in April, whereas P. s. tomato was recovered most often in May. The latter organism was isolated from inoculated plants before 1 May but was recovered from plants in commercial fields only once before 1 May. The two pathogens were never recovered from the same lesions, but epiphytic populations of P. s. syringae did not affect the epiphytic survival of P. s. tomato when both pathogens were sprayed on the same leaf.