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 Australasian Plant Disease Notes
Disease notes, new records and quarantine interception reports are published in Australasian Plant Disease Notes.

 

Article << Previous     |     Next >>   Contents Vol 35(3)

Phytoplasma disease surveys in Tonga, New Caledonia and Vanuatu

R. I. Davis A F, P. Jones B, T. J. Holman B, K. Halsey B, R. Amice C, S. K. Tupouniua D, M. Seth E

A Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands.
B Plant–Pathogen Interactions Division, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.
C Department Protection des Vegetaux, Service d’Inspection Vétérinaire Alimentaire et Phytosanitaire, Direction des Affaires Veterinaires, Alimentaires et Rurales (SIVAP-DAVAR), BP 256, 98845 Nouméa, Cedex, New Caledonia.
D Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF), PO Box 14, Nuku ‘alofa, Tonga.
E Vanuatu Quarantine and Inspection Service (VQIS), Ministry of Agriculture, Quarantine, Fisheries & Forestry, Private Mail Bag 95, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
F Corresponding author. Email: richardd@spc.int
 
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Abstract

Phytoplasma disease surveys of Tonga, Vanuatu and the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia were conducted. Samples were collected from plants showing phytoplasma disease-like symptoms and phytoplasmas were detected by nested polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing. In New Caledonia, phytoplasmas were associated with diseases of pineapple (Ananas comosus), onion (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and strawberry (Fragaria sp.). In Tonga, they were associated with diseases of Indian mulberry (also known as noni; Morinda citrifolia), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and a weed Cyanthileum cinereum (Syn. Vernonia cinerea). In Vanuatu, they were associated with sweet potato and sand-binder (Ipomoea pes-caprae ssp. brasiliensis). DNA sequence comparisons revealed that there were phytoplasmas with a high similarity (most >95% similar) to members of the ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense’ or ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ (16SrXII) group, the ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ (16SrII) group and the Mexican periwinkle virescence (16SrXIII) group.

   
    


 
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