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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326346
Title: On the issue of preservation and transmission of phytoplasma infection by potato tubers

Author
item GIRSOVA, N - Russian State Agrarian University
item Bottner, Kristi
item KASTALYEVA, T - Russian State Agrarian University
item MOZHAEVA, K - Russian State Agrarian University
item BOGOUTDINOV, D - Russian State Agrarian University
item Lee, Ing Ming

Submitted to: Izvestiya of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/4/2016
Publication Date: 1/1/2017
Citation: Girsova, N.V., Bottner-Parker, K.D., Kastalyeva, T.B., Mozhaeva, K.A., Bogoutdinov, D.Z., Lee, I. 2017. On the issue of preservation and transmission of phytoplasma infection by potato tubers. Izvestiya of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. 2:60-78.

Interpretive Summary: Phytoplasmas are cell wall-less plant pathogenic bacteria, which infect more than 1000 plant species and cause numerous economically important diseases. There is a vast number of diverse phytoplasma strains that are distributed on all continents. At least eight distinct phytoplasma strains belonging to five 16Sr phytoplasma groups (16SrI, 16SrII, 16SrIII, 16SrVI, and 16SrXII) cause diseases on potato in several Economic Regions in Russia. These diseases have great impact on potato production. In the present study we designed various experiments, during the period from 2008 to 2015, to determine the percentage of phytoplasma infection in potato sprouts or young plants that were grown from tubers collected from fields where potato plants were severely infected with different phytoplasma groups (16SrI, 16SrIII, 16SrVI or 16SrXII). The results indicated the percentage of phytoplasma infection ranged from 0% to 100%. We concluded that the possibility of phytoplasma infection from infected seed potato should not be overlooked. This information will aid diagnosticians and extension workers in Russia for disease control and will aid implementation of quarantine regulation in the US.

Technical Abstract: Various experiments were conducted from 2008 to 2015 to determine the percentage of phytoplasma infection in potato sprouts or young plants that were grown from tubers collected from fields where potato plants were severely infected with different phytoplasma groups (16SrI, 16SrIII, 16SrVI or 16SrXII-A). The results indicated the percentage of phytoplasma infection varied with year and pretreatment of tubers. i) If the tubers were stored at low temperature (4 °C) for several months before they were planted in the greenhouse or in an open field, the infection rate of emerged plants ranged from 0 to 2.3%, with one exception in 2010, where 50% of the sprouts from one tuber tested positive for group 16SrIII phytoplasma infection. ii) When the tubers were pre-treated with gibberellins within days or a month after harvesting and then planted in open fields, about 62% of the emerged plants became infected with 16SrXII-A phytoplasma. iii) When only the tubers (a total of six) that produced hairy sprouts were selected for an experiment under light at room temperature, the percentage of the sprouts infected with phytoplasma (group 16SrVI) was 100% during the fall and winter (2014), but decreased to 60% by mid-May.