1000 diseases mapped!
This month, April 2007, sees the
publication of map number 1000 of Distribution Maps of Plant
Diseases, the authoritative source for accurate data on the
worldwide distribution of plant diseases of economic or
quarantine importance, published by
CABI in association with the
European and Mediterranean Plant
Protection Organization (EPPO).
1st published in 1942, Distribution Maps
of Plant Diseases is a respected, referenced source of
distribution data, expertly compiled and validated and used by
plant health organisations around the world. The maps cover
important diseases affecting agriculture, horticulture and
forestry. Two sets of 18 disease maps are produced each year,
covering fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes, comprising
mostly new maps and also some map revisions. Many maps have been
revised following changes to taxonomy or distribution, some a
number of times; the most revised map is currently
Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. tabacina (map no. 23),
which was revised for the 10th time in 1998!
Since April 2006, Distribution Maps of
Plant Diseases as well as its sister product, Distribution Maps
of Plant Pests (with maps of nearly 700 arthropod plant pest
species), have also been available in electronic format with a
complete and fully searchable electronic back file dating back
over the 65 years of their publication.
And the 1000th disease species to be
mapped is (drum roll please) Oidium neolycopersici L.
Kiss, a fungus commonly known as tomato
powdery mildew, affecting the leaves and stems of, as the name
suggests, mainly tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Severe
infections caused by O. neolycopersici, especially if
they start early in the growing season, lead to a reduction in
fruit size and quality. Apparently, it was absent in Canada and
the USA until the 1990s, but soon after its 1st detection on
greenhouse tomatoes in Quebec, Canada, the pathogen spread
rapidly from one region to another in North America, and it is
now widespread in many states of Canada and the USA. This
indicates that the fungus can be considered as an invasive
species, as it can spread rapidly in new areas, where it
sometimes causes economic damage. O. neolycopersici was
only recently recognized as a distinct species of the
Erysiphaceae during studies by Kiss et al., and this recent
clarification has enabled us to accurately map this species now.
To celebrate the publication of map no.
1000, we have made this map open access.
