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APOPHYT - Evaluation of factors determining distribution, impact, detection and characterization of fruit tree phytoplasmoses
Project
Project code: 2811ERA003
Contract period: 01.11.2012
- 31.12.2014
Budget: 21,858 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Phytoplasma diseases are among the most important problems in fruit tree growing. Phytoplasmas are small specialised bacteria, which infect plants and causing a wide variety of symptoms. Phytoplasmas are spread from plant to plant by insects; the long distance dispersal occurs mainly by infected planting material. For movement of planting material of the genera Malus, Pyrus, Cydonia and Prunus within the Community, Directive 2000/29/EC requires freedom of visible symptoms of apple proliferation (AP), pear decline (PD) and European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) that are caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma mali, Ca. P. pyri and Ca. P. prunorum (16SrX group phytoplasmas), respectively. These quarantine diseases are transmitted by psyllids of the genus Cacopsylla.
Within this project nuclear plantings and nurseries will be screened for latent infections and distribution of AP, PD and ESFY in the EC. This will result in firm data on distribution and incidence of the fruit tree phytoplasmoses and their causal agents.
For the apple proliferation phytoplasma a specific gene will be examined by molecular methods, which is related to virulence. This data will give information on the distribution of virulent and avirulent AP phytoplasma strains and their role in disease.
The disease development of trees uniformly inoculated with AP-, PD- and ESFY phytoplasma will be monitored under different climatic conditions and insect-proof containment. The comparison of different locations will give significant information on the reason(s) for symptom inconsistency of all diseases in question.
A new detection procedure (LAMP) which has shown promising results and which is supposed to be more efficient and sensitive will be developed and compared to standard PCR assays which will lead to a simplified and more sensitive molecular detection procedure and improved diagnostic guidelines.
The fruit tree phytoplasmas Ca. P. mali, Ca. P. pyri and Ca. P. prunorum are transmitted from plant to plant by psyllid insects. A better understanding of the behavior and biology of these vectors is crucial for preventing their spread and for managing the diseases. Although considerable progress has been made recently by identification of phytoplasma vectors and elucidation of their life cycle, important questions remain, like the interaction between vector and host plants.
Keywords: EUPHRESCO 2
Section overview
Subjects
- Crop Protection
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture - Fruit Cops (JKI-OW)
