Detection of ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phythoplasma prunorum’ in Apricot Trees and its Associated Psyllid Samples
László Sándor Koncz,
Marietta Petróczy,
Béla Pénzes,
Márta Ladányi,
László Palkovics,
Piroska Gyócsi,
Géza Nagy,
János Ágoston,
József Fail
Affiliations
László Sándor Koncz
Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ménesi Street 44, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Marietta Petróczy
Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ménesi Street 44, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Béla Pénzes
Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ménesi Street 44, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Márta Ladányi
Institute of Mathematics and Basic Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Villányi Street 29, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
László Palkovics
Department of Plant Sciences, Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Vár Square 2, 9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
Piroska Gyócsi
Directorate of Agricultural Genetic Resources, Variety Testing Department for Field Crops, National Food Chain Safety Office, Keleti Károly Street 24, 1024 Budapest, Hungary
Géza Nagy
Directorate of Plant Protection, Soil Conservation and Agri-Environment, National Food Chain Safety Office, Budaörsi Street 141–145, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
János Ágoston
ELKH-SZE PhatoPlant-Lab, Széchenyi Isván University, Vár Square 2, 9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
József Fail
Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ménesi Street 44, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’ is causing ever increasing economic losses through the decline of apricot trees in European countries, e.g., Hungary. In this study, the pathogen was identified from plant tissues and insects by nested-PCR. The insect species were identified via morphology and molecular methods. The incidence of the pathogen was 29.6% in randomly selected apricot trees. Most of the infected trees with symptoms died within a year. These results show that phytoplasma is significantly present and causes damage in the investigated plantations. The only known insect vector of this phytoplasma is the plum psyllid, Cacopsylla pruni, which was regularly encountered in the sampled apricot orchards and in their surroundings. In a two-year study, several adults among the sampled specimens were observed to be infected by the pathogen. This observation further confirms the role of the plum psyllid in vectoring the phytoplasma. All the sampled plum psyllid adults belonged to the ‘B’ biotype. Besides C. pruni, Cacopsylla crataegi was abundant in the samples. Several adults of the latter species were also infected by the pathogen ‘Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum’. The rates of occurrence of this phytoplasma in male and female adults of the two psyllid species appeared to be similar. The examined C. crataegi individuals showed genetic differences from each other and from specimens included in a previous investigation.
