The primary cause for the development of bacterial blight of seeds in soybean and other leguminous crops

One of the significant reasons for the decrease in the sowing quality of seeds in leguminous crops all over the world is bacterial blight of seeds in the form of necrotic decaying spots on the outer or inner side of the cotyledons. A hypothesis was put forward about the presence of a common primary non-bacterial cause of the development of necrosis on cotyledons, regardless of the species, variety and growing zone. The studies were carried out in 2016-2020 in V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops, Krasnopdar, on seeds of soybeans, common bean, chickpea, white and narrow-leaved lupines. On immature seeds of healthy soybean plants in the phases of full filling and the beginning of physiological maturation, bacterial blight of seeds are never observed. Secondary (rain) moistening of mature seeds leads to the development of cotyledon necrosis and a decrease in their germination in soybeans, common beans, chickpeas, white lupine and narrow-leaved lupine. The physiological reason for the formation of cotyledon necrosis during the secondary moistening of mature seeds is the death of the tissues of the cotyledons, moistened before the stage of nucleic acid synthesis, and unable to return to the dormant stage upon repeated drying. Symptoms of the development of cotyledon necrosis after secondary moistening of mature seeds, and bacterial blight of seeds, are practically identical in all leguminous crops. The common primary cause of the formation of necrotic spots on the surface of the cotyledons, identified as bacterial blight of seeds, regardless of the species of legumes, variety and ecological-geographical zone of cultivation, is the secondary (rain) moisture of seeds that have not yet been harvested in the field of mature plants. Isolation of bacterial pathogens of various species and families in necrotic areas of the cotyledons can be explained by secondary infection of already dead tissues. Therefore, the species composition of bacterial microflora in each case will be determined by its presence in the environment.