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Survey and molecular detection of phytoplasmas associated with potato in Romania and southern Russia

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Abstract

In recent years, emerging phytoplasma diseases of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) have increasingly become important in central and eastern Europe. Accurate identification of phytoplasmas and their insect vectors is essential to developing effective management strategies for diseases caused by these plant pathogens. Potato phytoplasma diseases in Europe were for a long time diagnosed only on the basis of visual symptoms. However, this approach is not very reliable and the use of modern molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is required in order to accurately determine the etiology of these phytoplasma diseases. A survey and identification of phytoplasmas associated with potato crops in Romania and southern Russia were conducted based on modern molecular techniques. Symptomatic potato plants were collected from several fields and tested for phytoplasmas by PCR. Also, selected crops and weeds in the vicinity of these potato fields were sampled and tested for phytoplasmas. Stolbur (“Candidatus Phytoplasma solani”; 16SrXII-A) was the only phytoplasma detected in potato and adjacent crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), pepper (Capsicum annuum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), and beet (Beta vulgaris). This phytoplasma was also detected in weeds, particularly Convolvulus arvensis, Cuscuta sp., and Euphorbia falcata. Genotyping of obtained stolbur isolates on tuf genes revealed that they all had the same RFLP profile corresponding to the tuf-type ‘b’ (VK Type II). Stolbur-affected potato plants produced a large number of spongy tubers that resulted in commercially unacceptable potato chips upon processing.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Zita Nagy and Agnes Mike (FITOLAB, Budapest, Hungary), Sergey Marchenko, Valery Gonchar and Igor Kiselev (Pepsico International Frito Lay Manufacturing, Rostov, Russia), as well as Alexandra Lupascu, Marius Munteanu and Neli Filip (Star Foods E.M. Ltd/Frito-Lay, Ilfov, Romania) for their invaluable technical assistance. We are also grateful to A. Bertaccini, I.-M. Lee, and M. Maixner for providing reference controls used in the study. Funding for this research was provided by Pepsico International, Inc.

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  1. FITOLAB Plant Pest Diagnostic and Advisory Ltd., Istenhegyi ut 29, Budapest, 1125, Hungary

    Ibolya Ember, Zoltan Acs & Maria Kolber

  2. USDA-ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA, 98951, USA

    Joseph E. Munyaneza

  3. USDA-ARS, Forage and Vegetable Crop Research Unit, Prosser, WA, 99350, USA

    James M. Crosslin

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  1. Ibolya Ember
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Correspondence to Joseph E. Munyaneza.

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Ember, I., Acs, Z., Munyaneza, J.E. et al. Survey and molecular detection of phytoplasmas associated with potato in Romania and southern Russia. Eur J Plant Pathol 130, 367–377 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9759-5

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