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[1] Soybean, capsicum, passionfruit - Costa Rica: new pathogen (2002)
[2] Stolbur phytoplasma, potato - Germany (Rheinlandpfalz)

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[1] Soybean, capsicum, passionfruit - Costa Rica: new pathogen
Date: 26 Jan 2009
Source: The American Phytopathological Society, Plant Disease 2009; 93(2): 201 [edited]
<http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-93-2-0201C>


[Ref: W Villalobos et al: First Report of New Phytoplasma Diseases Associated with Soybean, Sweet Pepper, and Passion Fruit in Costa Rica.
Plant Dis 2009; 93(2): 201; DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-93-2-0201C]

A new soybean disease outbreak occurred in 2002 in a soybean (_Glycine max_) plantation in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. Symptoms on the affected plants included general stunting, small leaves, formation of excessive buds, and aborted seed pods. In the same region, 2 other diseases, one in sweet pepper (_Capsicum annuum_) fields and another affecting passion fruit (_Passiflora edulis_) vines, were also found. Symptoms on sweet pepper plants included unusually dark green leaves, some of which exhibited a rugose symptom with a zigzag pattern to the midvein, and purple vein discoloration.
Passion fruit vines exhibited bud proliferation. Collectively, symptoms resembled those commonly attributed to phytoplasmal infections.

Total nucleic acid was extracted from veinal tissues of leaves or buds (soybean). A nested PCR [polymerase chain reaction] assay was employed for the detection of putative phytoplasmas that might be associated within symptomatic plants. All 7 symptomatic plants (3 soybean, 3 sweet pepper, and one passion fruit) tested, but not healthy controls, yielded positive results. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of PCR products indicated that the 3 diseases were associated with a very similar or identical phytoplasma.

RFLP patterns and sequence analysis of cloned 16S rDNA revealed that the phytoplasma shared less than 97.5 percent sequence homology with all previously classified phytoplasmas, and, as such, represents a new taxon most closely related to 16SrXII [Stolbur] group strains. To our knowledge, this is the 1st report of a new phytoplasma associated with diseases of soybean, sweet pepper, and passion fruit in Costa Rica.

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[2] Stolbur phytoplasma, potato - Germany (Rheinlandpfalz)
Date: November 2008
Source: European Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) Reporting Service 11/2008/213 [edited] <http://archives.eppo.org/EPPOReporting/2008/Rse-0811.pdf>

Stolbur phytoplasma found on potatoes in Germany

The NPPO [National Plant Protection Organization] of Germany recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the occurrence of Stolbur phytoplasma ('_Candidatus_ Phytoplasma solani' - EPPO A2 List) on potatoes in Rheinlandpfalz. On 31 Jul 2008, typical symptoms of stolbur were detected in a potato field of a private grower. The phytoplasma could be isolated from tubers, leaves, and stem and was identified by PCR.

The infected tubers were used for processing. The grower was officially notified not to grow potatoes on the infected field in 2009. Further samples were collected in the vicinity of the infected field and tested. It is assumed that the infection was caused by natural spread (transmission by the insect vector _Hyalesthes obsoletus_ from other infected plants), because the infected field was located close to a vineyard. It can be recalled that stolbur was reported for the 1st time on potato crops in Hessen in 2006 (see EPPO RSE 2006/181 at <http://archives.eppo.org/EPPOReporting/2006/Rse-0609.pdf>), and similarly the incursion on potato crops was suspected to be linked to the presence of the phytoplasma in surrounding weeds.

The situation of stolbur phytoplasma on potatoes in Germany can be described as follows: present, one outbreak detected in Rheinlandpfalz in 2008, under eradication.

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[_Ca._ Phytoplasma solani (also called potato stolbur phytoplasma), the type member of the stolbur phytoplasma taxonomic group, has a wide host range and is known to affect around 45 species of _Solanaceae_ (including crops such as potato, tomato, capsicum, and eggplant), as well as further species in 6 other families. It can be spread by grafting and planthopper vectors, and _Hyalesthes obsoletus_ is considered the most important vector in parts of Europe. Disease outbreaks seem to occur in cycles, being favoured by hot dry summers, which stimulate vector migration into crops. The crop hosts are normally not important for the continuity of the pathogen, which prefers several species of wild plants.

Other species of the stolbur group (16SrXII) of phytoplasmas have been reported from Europe and parts of Asia and Africa causing diseases in a range of dicotyledonous crops (for example, bois noir, a serious disease of grapevine) and a few monocot hosts (including maize and sugarcane). Phytoplasma species are defined by a level of at least 97.5 percent homology of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, but even at this level additional species have been defined to distinguish between organisms significantly different in biological and genetic properties. Thus the novel phytoplasma from Costa Rica has been designated a new species, most likely within the stolbur group. Disease management for phytoplasmas include vector control, use of clean planting material, and resistant varieties.

Maps
Costa Rica:
<http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/camerica/lgcolor/crcolor.htm>
and
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=3624953&v=10,-84.2,7>
Germany:
<http://www.emansworld.com/JPEGS/map_germany-big.jpeg> and <http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=2847618&v=51.1,10.4,6>

Pictures
_Ca._ P. solani symptoms on potato:
<http://www.forestryimages.org/images/768x512/0454069.jpg>  and <http://www.forestryimages.org/images/768x512/0725024.jpg>
On tomato:
<http://www.forestryimages.org/images/768x512/0176080.jpg>  and <http://www.apsnet.org/mpmi/covers/2006/mja06cvr.htm>
_H. obsoletus_ vector:
<http://aramel.free.fr/Hyalesthes-obsoletus.jpg>

Links
Information on potato stolbur phytoplasma:
<http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/bacteria/Stolbur/PHYP10_ds.pdf>
_H. obsoletus_ information:
<http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/Hort/ascu/fulgor/hobsolet.htm>
_Ca._ Phytoplasma solani taxonomy:
<http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/69896>
_Ca._ Phytoplasma taxonomy and species groups:
<http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/33926>
Phytoplasma taxonomy:
<http://ijsb.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/57/8/1855>
Phytoplasma information and resource centre:
<http://plantpathology.ba.ars.usda.gov/phytoplasma.html>
EPPO A2 quarantine list:
<http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/listA2.htm>.  - Mod.DHA]

[see also in the archive:
2008
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Yellow leaf, sugarcane - India: 1st rep phytoplasma 20080303.0869 Grapevine diseases - Tunisia, Canada 20080212.0569
2007
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Maize redness - Serbia: stolbur phytoplasma 20070607.1844 Zebra chip disease, potato - USA: research 20070530.1751
2006
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Bois noir phytoplasma, grapevine - Canada (BC): 1st report 20061209.3473 Phytoplasma, new, potato - USA: 1st report 20060223.0585
2004
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Stolbur phytoplasma, grapevines - Ukraine: 1st report 20041123.3134 Stolbur phytoplasma, potato - Austria: 1st report 20040628.1727
2002
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Bois noir phytoplasma, grapevine - Switzerland 20020712.4739 Bois Noir phytoplasma, grapevine - Lebanon 20020711.4723
2001
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Potato stolbur phytoplasma, potato - Austria 20011124.2877 2000
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Potato stolbur phytoplasma - Poland: EPPO report 20001127.2063
1999
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Grapevine bois noir epidemiology - France 19990718.1212]