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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity of X. arboricola pv . juglandis strains in Serbia . This bacterium is the causal agent of walnut blight and is also associated with apical necrosis of immature walnut fruits. Although walnut blight is long known and widespread in Serbia, a systematic strain diversity study of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis strains from different regions in Serbia has not been performed. The objectives of this work were to examine the molecular diversity and its possible biological significance of 59 isolates of X. arboricola pv. juglandis collected from different geographic locations in Serbia. Genomic variability was assessed by using repetitive PCR, SpeI macrorestriction analysis of genomic DNAs by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and partial sequencing of the gyrB gene. Molecular analyses showed substantial genetic diversity among strains and existence of diverse populations of X. arboricola pv. juglandis in Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]