Journal of Phytopathology (2004) 152, 432-437

E. Torres, M.P. Martín, S. Paltrinieri, A. Vila, R. Masalles and A. Bertaccini (2004)
Spreading of ESFY phytoplasmas in stone fruit in Catalonia (Spain)
Journal of Phytopathology 152 (7), 432-437
Abstract: A survey was carried out in nine stone fruit commercial orchards located in Barcelona province where plum and apricot trees of different cultivars showing European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) symptoms were present. A 4-year survey with visual inspection of symptoms in one apricot orchard showed a rather high ESFY disease spread, also in a Japanese plum plantation newly infected plants were detected every year in a similar rate (about 2%). All the inspected symptomatic trees were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tested and ESFY phytoplasma identity was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and sequencing of ribosomal DNA amplification products. In apricot plantation the detection of ESFY phytoplasma was also tested on 69 asymptomatic trees sampled in summer 2002. The nested PCR with 16SrX group-specific primers allowed detection of ESFY phytoplasmas in 50% of the trees that indeed showed symptoms by the next winter (2003). The molecular detection of ESFY phytoplasma in asymptomatic apricot trees indicates the risk of maintaining phytoplasma foci in the fields where eradication is based only on visual inspection.
(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

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
population dynamics/ epidemiology

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytoplasma prunorum	Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)	Spain (continental)
	Phytoplasma prunorum	Plum/prune (Prunus domestica)	Spain (continental)