Henry Tryon-the true discoverer of the potato brown rot pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum

Article


Ryley, Malcolm J.. 2024. "Henry Tryon-the true discoverer of the potato brown rot pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum." Historical Records of Australian Science. 35 (2), pp. 142-150. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR23007
Article Title

Henry Tryon-the true discoverer of the potato brown rot pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum

ERA Journal ID3482
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsRyley, Malcolm J.
Journal TitleHistorical Records of Australian Science
Journal Citation35 (2), pp. 142-150
Number of Pages9
Year2024
PublisherCSIRO Publishing
Place of PublicationAustralia
ISSN0727-3061
1448-5508
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1071/HR23007
Web Address (URL)https://www.publish.csiro.au/HR/HR23007
AbstractWithin a few years of the establishment of the convict settlement at Sydney Cove, the potato became one of the staple crops of the population due to its relatively high yield and the prior experience of the convicts and free settlers with growing the crop. In 1894, Henry Tryon described a new disease in southern Queensland that caused rapid wilting of plants, a ring of slightly translucent tissue just below the surface of affected tubers, oozing of a thick, white fluid from the 'eyes', and ultimately rotting of the tubers. It soon became known as 'Tryon's disease'. He found that a microbe (bacterium) was always associated with affected tubers and stems, provided a very brief description of the bacterial cells and named the microbe Bacillus vascularum solani. A few years later the American scientist Erwin Frink Smith wrote a paper on a new disease (brown rot) of solanaceous plants including the potato and tomato, in which he called the causal agent Pseudomonas solanacearum, now known as Ralstonia solanacearum. Smith dismissed Tryon's prior claim to the discovery of the disease with some of his comments being personal and scathing. Tryon had the last word, however, cloaking his response in restrained and somewhat convoluted tones.
KeywordsBacillus solanacearum; bacterial wilt; brown rot; Erwin Frink Smit; Henry Tryon; potato; Ralstonia solanacearum; Tryon’s disease
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020300499. Crop and pasture production not elsewhere classified
Byline AffiliationsCentre for Crop Health
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