Identification and characterization of Pantoea eucalypti as the causative agent of soft rot disease in Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Sprengle) in China

Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Sprengle) cultivation is widespread in China owing to its distinctive flavor and nutritional advantages. Nevertheless, there exists a significant gap in our knowledge concerning bacterial diseases affecting Chinese chive. In this investigation, a novel strain, denoted as MYJC, was isolated and purified from stem and leaf samples of soft rot in Chinese chive plants collected from above the ground in Chengdu City. Subsequent application of Koch's postulates confirmed its pathogenicity in causing Chinese chive soft rot disease. Comprehensive physiological, biochemical, and molecular biology assays unequivocally identified the causative agent as Pantoea eucalypti. Notably, this study represents the inaugural report of Pantoea eucalypti-induced soft rot disease in Chinese chive in China, thereby establishing a critical theoretical foundation for devising preventive and control strategies against this devastating pathogen in the Chinese chive cultivation sector.