What does this research mean for the field?

Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens are causative agents of bacterial wilt of ginger in Ethiopia, contrasting with earlier reports that attributed the disease solely to Ralstonia solanacearum. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To identify and characterize the bacterial pathogens responsible for severe bacterial wilt and rhizome rot in cultivated ginger.

August 22, 2026Plant Disease

First Report of Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens Causing Bacterial Wilt of Ginger in Ethiopia

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Authors

AMAddisie Belay MulusewJimma University WBWakuma BayissaJimma University MCMarjolein CouvreurUniversity College Ghent

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Implication

Field survey and pathogenicity assays identify Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens in wilted ginger crops, highlighting emerging bacterial threats to spice production.

Key Points

To identify and characterize the bacterial pathogens responsible for severe bacterial wilt and rhizome rot in cultivated ginger.
Surveyed eight ginger-producing districts during the 2022 cropping season to collect symptomatic ginger rhizomes and isolate bacterial colonies on nutrient agar.
Identified bacterial isolates using multi-locus sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA, hsp60, and rpoB genes via BLASTn and phylogenetic analyses.
Performed Koch's postulates pathogenicity tests by inoculating tissue culture-derived 'Boziab' ginger seedlings with bacterial suspensions (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) in triplicate under greenhouse conditions.
Molecular sequencing identified 15 Enterobacter and 10 Serratia isolates, confirmed via hsp60 and rpoB gene sequencing as Enterobacter mori (97.0%–99.3% sequence identity) and Serratia marcescens (99.7%–100.0% sequence identity).
Inoculated ginger seedlings developed typical yellowing, wilting, and rhizome rot symptoms matching field observations, whereas control plants remained asymptomatic, with re-isolated pathogens matching the original strains.

Cite This Study

Mulusew et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a895ffeca7ade938187efac https://doi.org/10.1094/pdis-06-26-1145-pdn

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Implication

Field survey and pathogenicity assays identify Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens in wilted ginger crops, highlighting emerging bacterial threats to spice production.

First Report of Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens Causing Bacterial Wilt of Ginger in Ethiopia

Discussion

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

First Report of Enterobacter mori and Serratia marcescens Causing Bacterial Wilt of Ginger in Ethiopia

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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