Causative Pathogen of Fire Blight of Fruit Trees in Georgia

Abstract
Fire blight is a devastating disease of fruit trees that first appeared in Georgia in 2016. Above 40 samples – fruit trees twigs, buds, flowers and fruitlets, suspected on the fire blight disease were collected in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Shida Kartli Regions, eastern Georgia in Summer of 2020. Based on visual observation and immunological test (Ea AgriStrip), 20 plant samples were selected for further study. PCR analysis was performed to detect pathogen in these samples with primers pair A: 5′-CGG TTT TTA ACG CTG GG-3′ and B: 5′-GGG CAA ATA CTC GGA TT-3 ′ and 2XPCR BIOTAG Mix using PCR BIOSYSTEMS. The pathogen Erwinia amylovora was detected in 6 samples: N10 and N11 apple samples (Ksovrisi);