This study used the physiological conditioning technique in an agar-based medium for Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Cff) to inoculate dry beans. The seed performance of the Pérola dry bean variety was evaluated after submitting it to physiological conditioning in a water restricted agar-based medium. The treatments consisted of exposing dry bean seeds to the bacteria for different time periods at four levels of water restriction in 523 medium (-0.55, -0.75, -0.95 and -1.15 MPa), and four substrates (523 medium, 523 medium+KCl, 523 medium+mannitol and 523 medium+sucrose) with an additional control treatment of 523 medium without any osmotic restriction (-0,55 MPa). After each time period, the number of germinated seeds in the medium was evaluated and the water content, germination and seed enzymatic patterns were assessed. In a second study, growth was assessed for four Cff strains (Cff DF - Feij-2936, Cff PR - 12768, Cff SC - Feij-2928 e Cff SP - Feij-2634) in different water restriction 523 media. The treatments in the third phase were defined on the basis of the results of the first stage, where the best combination was mannitol-amended 523 medium set for -0,95 MPa water potential and 48 hours exposure to the pathogen. In the second phase, the Cff SC (Feij-2928) strain from Santa Catarina state showed the best growth in an agar-based medium and water potential as defined in the first phase. Thus, Cff artificial inoculation in bean seeds was done by using the physiological conditioning technique in an agar-based medium without the occurrence of any detectable changes in the seed physiological quality patterns.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.; wilt-of-Curtobacterium; water restriction
