European Journal of Plant Pathology (1999) 105, 487-493

A. Bertaccini, J. Fránová, S. Paltrinieri, M. Martini, M. Navrátil, C. Lugaresi, J. Nebesárová and M. Simkova (1999)
Leek proliferation: a new phytoplasma disease in the Czech Republic and Italy
European Journal of Plant Pathology 105 (5), 487-493
Abstract: During the summer 1996, twelve of twenty-eight leek plants located in a garden near Ceské Budejovice, South Bohemia exhibited symptoms typical of diseases associated with phytoplasmas. In summer 1998 similar symptoms were detected in leek plants in a field used for seed production located in Romagna, North Italy. In both cases the plants were established in the spring of the previous year. Plants showed flower abnormalities: stamen elongation, anther sterility, pistil proliferation, as well as poor, if any, seed production. Phytoplasma-like structures were detected by scanning and transmission electron microscopy in phloem sieve elements in the Czech diseased plants, but not in healthy ones. Nested-PCR amplifications of extracted DNA with phytoplasma-specific oligonucleotide primer pairs confirmed the presence of phytoplasmas in these plants at low concentrations. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of amplified ribosomal sequences allowed the identification of detected phytoplasmas: all the samples from the Czech Republic contained aster yellows related phytoplasmas (16SrI-B) while in the Italian samples aster yellows related phytoplasmas (16SrI-B) together with stolbur related phytoplasmas (16SrXII-A) were identified. This is the first report of detection and identification of a phytoplasma disease of leek in the Czech Republic and Italy.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Assunta Bertaccini, Jana Fránová, Milan Navratil

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	16SrI phytoplasma group	Onion/garlic/leek (Allium)	Czech Republic
	16SrI phytoplasma group	Onion/garlic/leek (Allium)	Italy