Success story of the Euphresco project 'Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe’s major crops

De Jonghe Kris

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Success story of the Euphresco project 'Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe’s major crops'Project funded through the Euphresco networ

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      Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe’s major crops   Several harmful phytoplasmas and bacteria such as Xylella fastidiosa, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ or fruit crop phytoplasmas are threatening important European crops such as potatoes, olives and fruit crops, with major economic impact. For these pathogens, some phloem and xylem feeding insects are already identified as vectors or candidate vectors, but knowledge on vectors involved, their phytosanitary status in specific areas, their host range, alternative hosts, and influence of abiotic factors on the vector occurrence and disease transmission capacity is fragmented or lacking.  A comprehensive scientific insight is indispensable in order to improve risk evaluation and define effective regulation and phytosanitary management strategies adapted to local conditions for this type of vectored plant diseases.  The main goal of the project is to generate more information on insect vectors (Auchenorrhyncha) of bacteria and phytoplasmas of phytosanitary concern, more specifically:   on phloem and xylem feeding insects that should be tested as possible vectors for bacteria and phytoplasmas;   on the fruit and field crop range that the vectored bacteria and phytoplasmas cause damage to;   on the capability of the insects to vector specific bacteria and phytoplasmas of phytosanitary concern;   on the specific association between vector and plant pathogen.   The research scientists in the project are focusing on different case studies, yet all with the same goal, as described above. During the first year, various monitoring and trapping techniques (light interception traps, sweep-netting, beating, and adhesive techniques, pan traps and a portable air suction machine) to collect phloem and xylem-feeding insects (Auchenorrhyncha) which could potentially act as vectors of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter spp.’ and ‘Canditatus Phytoplasma’ were evaluated. May 2017      One specific aspect of the project involves a detailed vector monitoring in apple proliferation phytoplasma infected Malus orchards, pear decline phytoplasma infected Pyrus orchards and aster yellows phytoplasma infected carrot fields. For this survey, adhesive sticky traps, which revealed to be the most reliable and most practical monitoring method, were used. In the Malus and Pyrus orchards, Empoasca decipiens, and Ribautiana debilis (mainly in apple), Eupteryx atropunctata and Edwardsiana rosae were the most prevailing insects, whereas in carrot, besides E. decipiens and E. atropunctata, also Macrosteles sexnotatus and Zyginidia scutellaris were the most captured Auchenorrhyncha species. A selection of those insects were tested for phytoplasmas presence (nested PCR: P1/P7(1) & R16F2/R2(2) primer sets). In carrot, several M. sexnotatus and one Javesella pellucida and E. decipiens specimen tested positive for phytoplasmas presence. In Malus, a Typhlocyba quercus and Graphocephala fennahi specimen tested positive, and finally, in Pyrus, one specimen of each M. sexnotatus, Philaneus spumarius and Cicadella viridis revealed positive in the phytoplasma test. After rearing individual populations of the insects, transmission experiments are being set up for the confirmed phytoplasma carrying Auchenorrhyncha species as a next step in identifying them as potential vectors.  References:  (1) Deng and Hiruki. 1991. J. Microbiol. Methods 14, 53-61. (2) Lee et al. 1994. Phytopathology 84, 559-566.       Project ID: Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe’s major crops (VECTRACROP)  May 2017 

Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe's major crops

https://zenodo.org/record/1116948/files/euphresco_success_story_vectracrop.pdf

Tracking vectors of bacteria and phytoplasmas threatening Europe's major crops

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