Detection and Control of Rose Phytoplasma Phyllody Disease

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Pathol. Dept., Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ., Egypt

2 Biol. Dept., Fac. Sci. (Girls Section), Jazan Univ., KSA

3 Economic Entom. and Pesticides Dept., Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ., Egypt

Abstract

Phytoplasmas causing phyllody symptoms on rose was detected from naturally infected plants. The detected phytoplasma was transmitted by; grafting and dodder into healthy rose and periwinkle plants. Phytoplasma units ranging in diameters from 0.4 to 0.8 μm were detected inside phloem tissues of infected plants. DNA extracted from symptomatic samples was used as template for amplification of products of 1.8 kb using primer pair P1/P7 and 1.2 kb using primer pairs R16F2/R2 by direct and nested-PCR, respectively. Three samples from protected rose fields yielded PCR, amplicons of expected size (1,200 bp) by nested PCR, while no PCR products were obtained for the symptomless plants. Two concentrations of tetracycline hydrochloride, i.e. 250 and 300 ppm were used to control the disease by two different treatments, immersing transplants and soil drench. Immersing transplants with tetracycline at 300 ppm for either 15 or 30min gave best result. Also the concentration at 300 ppm for soil drench had a higher recovery effect than at 250 ppm. This study of Rose phyllody disease caused by phytoplasmas is carried out for the first time in Egypt.

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