Identification and Characterization of Bacterial Agents Causing Moderate Damage and Souring of the Fig Fruits

In order to determine the factors of decay and sourness of fig fruits, in the summer of 2016-17, 60 leaf, fruit and stem samples from different regions of Tehran, Varamin (Qal'e No), Mazandaran (Amol, Noor and Sari), Lorestan from Iran and a branch of fig fruit sample from Italy were collected. We obtained 30 isolates from the sample. The pathogenicity of 30 isolates were confirmed by artificially inoculation using fig fruits. They were also characterized based on key phenotypic traits. All 30 isolates showed hypersensitivity reaction to tobacco, pelargonium and did not show pathogenicity to potato tubers. 16S rRNA gene of the 10 representative isolates were sequenced. Ten isolates were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fulva, Brevibacterium linens, Pseudomonas fragi, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus paralicheniformis and Bacillus cereus based on the determined sequences. None of the isolates caused fruit rot but typical disease symptoms were observed on fig leaves and fruits. This is the first report of the presence of pathogenic bacteria on fig trees in Iran.