Journal of Pest Science (2014) 87, 671-679

Luciana Galetto, Dimitrios Miliordos, Chiara Roggia, Mahnaz Rashidi, Dario Sacco, Cristina Marzachi and Domenico Bosco (2014)
Acquisition capability of the grapevine Flavescence dorée by the leafhopper vector Scaphoideus titanus Ball correlates with phytoplasma titre in the source plant
Journal of Pest Science 87 (4), 671-679
Abstract: Flavescence dorée (FD) is one of the most economically important grapevine diseases in Southern Europe, and it is associated with phytoplasmas, phloem-limited wall-less bacteria. Recovery from disease naturally occurs in infected grapevines during the following seasons after infection. The capability of the leafhopper vector Scaphoideus titanus to acquire FD phytoplasma (FDP) from recovered and infected grapevines of Barbera and Nebbiolo varieties was investigated in North-western Italy vineyards monitored from 2007 to 2011. Pathogen concentration was quantified by real-time PCR in FDP-infected grapevines and broad beans, also used as source plants under controlled conditions, to correlate acquisition capabilities and phytoplasma titre in source plants. S. titanus acquired FDP from infected, but not from recovered, grapevines. FDP titre was higher in Barbera than in Nebbiolo and higher in summer than in spring, and acquisition efficiency and pathogen titre in source plants were positively correlated, both in field and laboratory conditions. Recovered plants do not represent a source of inoculum for the vector and therefore do not contribute to FDP spread. The inability of recovered plants to serve as FDP acquisition sources for the vector as well as the effect of the season and of the two grapevine varieties on the FDP acquisition efficiency are relevant results to re-design disease management practices, especially since insecticide treatments against the vector are not fully effective, and newly designed successful control strategies are required.
(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): Luciana Galetto, Domenico Bosco, Cristina Marzachi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Scaphoideus titanus	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy
	Phytoplasma vitis	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy