Occurrence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae on kiwifruit in Italy

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae has been isolated from kiwifruit plants for the first time in Italy. Biochemical tests were consistent with those characterizing the type‐strain; pathogenicity tests yielded severe blights in the inoculated kiwifruit plants and no symptoms on lilac, pear and peach. Nutritional tests as well as whole‐cell protein profiles revealed slight differences between the strains isolated in Japan and those of the present study. The main symptoms observed in the field are a red‐rusty exudation covering the bark of twigs and trunks, blight of young canes and plants, angular leaf spots surrounded by chlorotic haloes and tiny cankers along the twigs.