Detection ofErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica in potato tubers with immunofluorescence following induction of decay

The simplest method of inducing tubers to decay in order to detect contamination by the blackleg organism,Erwinia carotovora var.atroseptica, was to wound them and place them in a mist chamber for four days. Incubating the decayed tubers in air for a further two days improved detection of the blackleg organism by immunofluorescence, which was a more sensitive test than the double diffusion method.