Whole genome sequencing of Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae from Almaty
The spread of bacterial diseases of apple makes the development of accurate and rapid diagnostic methods particularly important, as these determine the choice of orchard protection strategies and the reduction of potential economic losses. The most dangerous quarantine pathogen remains the causal agent of fire blight, Erwinia amylovora. Its timely detection determines the effectiveness of control measures and reduces the risk of unjustified use of antibiotics and growth regulators. At the same time, diseases caused by representatives of Pseudomonas syringae are widespread in apple, affecting leaves, buds, and bark, and inducing fruit blister spot. At early stages, the clinical picture may resemble fire blight symptoms, which can lead to errors in visual diagnosis and in the choice of control measures. In our study, apple leaves with symptoms of bacterial infection were used as material, originally collected for the detection of E. amylovora. The relevance of applying a comprehensive diagnostic approach is determined not only by the similarity of symptoms between fire blight and diseases caused by P. syringae, but also by the need for maximally accurate taxonomic identification. This fully applies to both P. syringae and E. amylovora, for which WGS-based approaches are already being employed in comparative genomic studies.