Distribution and pathogenicity of bacteria species carried by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in China

Bacteria carried by the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, from both healthy and diseased Pinus thunbergii and P. massoniana were studied in five main pine wilt disease epidemic provinces in P. R. China. No bacteria were found in healthy pines but were found on PWN from all samples collected from diseased trees. Twenty-four bacteria strains were isolated from the nematodes and were identified by a combination of classical and automatic testing bacteriology (ATB) expression methods. Bioassay showed that 17 of the 24 identified strains produced phytotoxins. Eleven of these 17 phytotoxin producers belonged to the genus Pseudomonas. Glasshouse and field inoculation tests using sterile techniques showed that both PWN and the toxin-producing bacteria carried were necessary to induce disease. We hypothesise that pine wilt disease is a complex, induced by both PWN and the bacteria it carries.