FIG 1.

Fitness of the kdgR mutant in soft rots. S. enterica serovar Typhimurium 14028 and the isogenic kdgR mutant were coinoculated at a 1:1 ratio into intact green tomatoes or into tomatoes with P. carotovorum SR38 or Xanthomonas species. The ratio of the wild-type Salmonella to the mutant was assessed by plating and patching onto selective media after a 3-day incubation. Box plots indicate 25 to 75% quantiles, and lines within box plots are medians. Whiskers indicate the first or third quantile plus 1.5 multiplied by the inner quantile range. The zero line indicates no difference in competitive fitness. Competitive indices were compared using Student's t test, and different letters indicate statistically significant differences (P < 0.05).