Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight of corn is caused by the bacterium
Clavibacter michiganensis subsp.
nebraskensis (Cmn). This disease has recently re-emerged
as an important disease in the Midwestern United States (US) and continues
to spread. Cultural practices are currently the only methods available for
controlling the disease. Weedy species in the genera
Echinochloa, Setaria, and
Sorghum have previously been described as alternative
hosts of Cmn. The objective of this research was to use an isolate of Cmn
from the eastern Midwest to examine the host status of previously confirmed
hosts, as well as test whether additional weedy or cover crop species are
alternative hosts of the bacterium. Plants were inoculated with a suspension
of 1 × 108 colony-forming units of Cmn per milliliter in a
greenhouse experiment. Leaves were observed for typical symptoms of Goss's
wilt 7 d after inoculation. Pathogen presence was determined by observing
bacterial streaming microscopically, and isolating Cmn from symptomatic
plants. Putative colonies of Cmn were confirmed with the use of
morphological and molecular methods. Koch's Postulates were completed on
populations of new plant species that showed symptoms. Results revealed
three new hosts of Cmn: annual ryegrass, johnsongrass, and large crabgrass.
In contradiction to previous reports, barnyardgrass was not a host of Cmn in
this study. Results also confirm that giant foxtail, green foxtail,
shattercane, and yellow foxtail are hosts of Cmn. These results redefine the
known host range of Cmn and are important in identifying additional sources
of inoculum to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of Goss's
wilt.