Determination of Fungal and Bacterial Disease Agents on Significant Brassicaceous Vegetable Species Grown in Hatay Province

The Brassicaceae family, commonly known as the Cruciferae or mustard family, encompasses plant species of global economic significance, including oilseed crops, vegetables, as well as condiment purposes. Hatay is one of the most important provinces in Turkey where Brassicaceous vegetable crops are grown. This study aimed to identify the causative disease agents affecting Brassicaceous vegetables including cabbage (red and white varieties), broccoli, cauliflower, garden cress, rocket, and radish in the districts of Hatay Province where vegetable cultivation took place during the 2020-2021 growing seasons. Isolations from suspicious cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and radish plants exhibiting disease symptoms in the surveyed areas revealed the presence of various fungal disease agents, including Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium exquisite, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, , and Stemphylum sp. Furthermore, obligate oomycete pathogens such as Albugo lepidii, Albugo candida, , and Perofascia lepidii were detected with varying prevalence and incidence rates on leaves and stems of water cress, rocket, and radish plants. In addition to fungal pathogens, primary bacterial pathogens, including Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, , Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, , Pectobacterium parmentieri, Pseudomonas corrugata, , and Pseudomonas victoria, , were identified through morphological, biochemical, and pathogenicity tests, and MALDI-TOF analyses. Pantoea agglomerans, Pseudomonas marginalis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterobacter cloacae, and Bacillus pumilus were also identified as opportunistic soft rot bacterial pathogens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. exquisite, A. alternata, B. cinerea, Stemphylum sp., as fungal disease agents; P. parmentieri, P. corrugata, and P. victoria as primary soft rot bacterial disease agents; P. agglomerans, P. marginalis, P. fluorescens, E. cloacae, and B. pumilus as opportunistic secondary soft rot bacterial disease agents affecting different minor vegetables belong to Brassica spp, such as cabbage (red and white varieties), broccoli, cauliflower, radish, rocket, and garden cress, grown in Turkey.