POPULUS NIGRA L. ITALICA DECLINE IN FRANCE. VARIABILITY OF THE PHYTOPLASMA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISEASE IN EUROPE. RESULTS AND PERSPECTIVES

Phytoplasma decline severely attacks Populus nigra cv Italica in France where it creates a risk for the future of this species in urban areas.
The disease agent is transmitted by leafhoppers living exclusively on poplar. Rhytidodus decimusquartus is the main vector of the disease.
Phytoplasmas have been detected on P. nigra cv Italica by polymerase chain reaction.
The disease has been reported in several countries in Europe.
However the symptoms are not so severe in Germany as in France.
The amplification obtained using only one primer pair is sufficient to detect phytoplasma in France.
The detection of the German isolates often requires the successive use of two primer pairs and slight differences have been suggested in their DNA nucleotide sequences.
Indirect prophylactic methods against the vector may be considered, although none of them allows complete eradication of the disease.

International Symposium on Urban Tree Health

M. Cousin, R. Berges, J. Roux, J.-P. Moreau, C. Hiruki, E. Seemüller

Phytoplasma, Populus, Leafhopper, PCR, RFLP, HMA (Heteroduplex mobility Assay), Control, Europe

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.496.8