Screening of European stone fruit yellows, apple proliferation and pear decline diseases in fruit nurseries with focus on latent infection Sedlak Jiri1,*, Safarova Dana2, Cmejla Radek1, Navratil Milan2, Rejlova Martina1, Skalsky Michal1, Ourednickova Jana1, KrSka Boris1, Namestek Jan1 1Vyzkumny A Slechtitelsky Ustav Ovocnarsky Holovousy, Holovousy, Czech Republic 2Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic *Corresponding author e-mail: Jiri Sedlak (sedlak@vsuo.cz)
Online published on 23 May, 2023. Abstract The occurrence of phytoplasmas was monitored in nurseries by PCR testing to determine the level of infection with these regulated non-quarantine pests in propagation materials of pome and stone fruits in the Czech Republic (central Europe) in 2022. Fourteen fruit nurseries were visited in ten regions of the Czech Republic. Out of a total of 640 samples (various cultivars of apple, pear, plum, apricot and peach) collected, only 7 apricots were detected as infected by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’ which represents 1.09% infection rate out of all tested trees. The obtained results show that the current occurrence of phytoplasmas in the propagation material of fruit trees in the Czech Republic is very low and the situation is promising, reflecting the successful application of phytosanitary measures. Top Keywords Phytoplasmas, Psylloidea, Pome fruit, Non-quarantine, Pathogens, Nursery. Top |