Cultural Characters of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae Causing Bacterial Blight of Pomegranate

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae (Xap) is a dreaded pathogen of pomegranate causing bacterial blight in major pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) growing areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Growth of all eighteen isolates of Xap at pH 7 was significantly superior over (mean OD value 0.320) other treatments and is followed by pH 6 (mean OD value 0.273). All sixteen isolates were grown well at 0% salt concentration was significantly superior over (mean OD value 0.354) other treatments, which is followed by 1% (mean OD value 0.223). All isolates grows well at 27°c but no growth was observed at temperature 37°c. All eighteen isolates were produced fuscan pigment on LB agar after nine days of inoculation. Only six isolates produced fuscan pigment after 4 days of inoculation, eight isolates produced fuscan after 5 days of inoculation, four isolates after 8 days of inoculation.