First Report of Pseudomonas lurida Causing Bacterial Leaf Spot on Miscanthus sinensis

Miscanthus spp. are large perennial wetland grasses that are receiving considerable attention as bioenergy crops. In late summer 2011, leaf spot symptoms were observed in a field of Miscanthus sinensis in Jeongseon, Gangwon province, Korea. Bacterial strains that belonged to the γ-Proteobacteria genus Pseudomonas were isolated from the affected leaves. By phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic characterization, the representative strain MDM-03 was identified as Pseudomonas lurida. Healthy M. sinensis leaves inoculated with MDM-03 developed leaf spots similar to those observed in field. Bacteria re-isolated from the leaf lesions were identical to the original strain MDM-03 based on their cultural characteristics and 16S rDNA sequencing. This is the first report of bacterial leaf spot in Miscanthus sinensis.