DIFFERENT PATHOGENICITY ASSAYS TO EVALUATE VIRULENCE OF PSEUDOMONAS SYRINGAE PV.PISI ON COMMERCIAL PEA (PISUM SATIVUM L.) VARIETIES

Pea (PisumsativumL) is a major legume grown in Pakistan which used both as fresh vegetable and canned food. However, pea production in Pakistan is under stress due to various abiotic and biotic factors. Among biotic, themost destructive is bacterial blight caused by Pseudomonassyringaepvpisi(Ppi). Therefore, in presentstudy different pathogenicity assays were performed to observe the innate immunity present in different commercialpea cultivars against Ppiisolated from pea seeds. The results of pathogenicity assays showed that leaf detachmethod was best method for symptom development as it took 2 days in comparison to foliar injection and soil drenching methods where incubation period prolonged for 6-8 days respectively. Pea varieties viz. DMR-4, DMR-7 Green forest, Rondo and Dasanshowed susceptibility against Ppiisolates in all three methods of inoculations. Commercially growing pea germplasmis not showing resistance against Ppiwhich considered alooming threat to pea productions all over the world. Therefore, anextensive screening of commercial pea germplasm against local bacterial isolatesneededto be performed to avoid future crop failure.