Fruit Tree Phytoplasmas in Turkey Kadriye Caglayan¹ Mona Gazel¹ Cigdem Ulubas Serce¹ Savas Korkmaz² ¹ Mustafa Kemal University Antakya-Hatay/Turkey ² Onsekiz Mart Universitesi Canakkale- Turkey
Pome and stone fruit tree phytoplasmas correspond to three different phytoplasmas: European Stone Fruit Yellows (ESFY) Pear Decline (PD) Apple Proliferation (AP)
PD PD caused by Ca Phytoplasma pyri has been reported from most of the European countries, as well as Turkey. The disease kills trees in its quick decline form when varieties are grafted on sensitive rootstocks like P.pyrifolia which is the common rootstock in Turkey. It reduces paer production by half in certain states of the USA and killed 50.000 trees in the late 1940s in Italy.
Deveci is most popular cultivar in Turkey and one fruit might reachto600 grams but very sensitive to PD. Dieback of many Deveci trees can occur within a few weeks.
PD were detected in most of the cvs growing in Turkey. C. pyri was detected as most common and effective vector in Turkey. In order to control the disease: -eradication programmes -tolerant rootstocks like OHF333 -efficent vector control The disease is under control
AP AP caused by Ca Phytoplasma mali affects only European and Turkish apple orchards. It reduces the size and weight of the fruit of infected apples by half. Causes unmarketable fruits!!! Young trees are more susseptible but no tree mortality has been reported today. The highest economic impact seems to occur in Germany and northern Italy. No economic impact in Turkey yet!!!
ESFY ESFY caused by Ca Phytoplasma prunorum kills about 5% of apricot trees per year in southern France due to apricot chlorotic leaf roll. It induces plum leptonecrosis on Japanese plum and yellows on most of the peach cultivars in southern Europe and Turkey. It does not effect sour and sweet cherry. It has also been reported on almond around Mediterranean basin. It is the most devastating phytoplasma disease on fruit trees in Turkey
Vector studies of ESFY (Cacopsylla pruni)
ESFY causes economic losses on apricot and plums in Turkey. It has recently been detected on almonds and new cooperations with other Mediterranean countries should be established. Cacopsylla pruni was detected very recently as vector Epidemiology of the disease is still under study in frame of COST and bilateral project with France. Eradication programme has been succesfull. Monitoring of the disease and its vectors continue...
Almond is important crop in Turkey. In 2008, Turkey ranks sixth in the world almond production yielding approximately 53.000 tons. Almond is grown almost in every region of Turkey, except the North-East and higher elevations of Eastern Anatolia. The most widely grown almond varieties are Nonpareil, Texas, Genco, Tuono, Ferragnes, Ferraduel and Drake.
Datca, Turkey
Although fruit tree phytoplasmas were deeply studied since 1999 in Turkey, there have been very limited studies and records on almonds. Recently, some problems appeared on cvs. Texas and Nonpareil in Biga peninsula located in Marmara region of Turkey.
The main symptoms were late budbreak on some brances, leaf drops and proliferation.
These samples were tested by direct/nested PCR using P1/P7 and F01/R01 primer pairs, respectively, RFLP and sequencing analyses. At the same time budding and bark inoculations were performed from these symptomatic almond branches to periwinkle seedlings and tested after four months
RFLP patterns of almond phytoplasma isolates Al2, Al4 isolates from almond AlV4 isolate from almond grafted perivinkle ES Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum PD Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri AP Candidatus Phytoplasma mali Stl Stolbur SGP Strawberry green petal WB Almond witches broom C Control
Nucleotide sequence alignment of Al4 and AlV4 isolates
According to PCR/RFLP and sequencing results both almond and almond grafted periwinkle were infected with Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum named as isolates Al4 and AlV4, respectively. Another isolate from almond, Al2, had different RFLP pattern from Ca. P. prunorum but similar to almond witches broom phytoplasma. This isolate is still under study.
Main conclusion: All phytoplasma diseases except PD was detected on imported plant materials and germplasm collections in Turkey. The way phytoplasmas were legally distributed over large distances is the transport of latently infected plant material that have escaped the quality controls and/or the quarantine procedures
Turkish team is open to all international cooperation!!!