7th ICPP: new or detailed geographical records concerning quarantine pests
A very large number of papers were presented at the 7th International Congress of Plant Pathology (Edinburgh, GB, 1998-08-09/16) and the EPPO Secretariat has tried to extract new data concerning quarantine pests or information relevant to plant quarantine. This information is presented in several articles of the EPPO Reporting Service to facilitate reading and further retrieval. References only mention the names of the authors and the number of the abstract in the proceedings.
New geographical records
Colletotrichum acutatum (EU Annex II/A2) occurs in Belize (first found in 1979) and causes post bloom fruit drop of citrus (Timmer, L.W.; Zitko, S.E. - 2.1.6S).
High Plains virus was first identified in maize in 1993, in the western plains of USA (see EPPO RS 97/070, 98/215). It is suggested that it could be a member of a possibly new group of pathogens transmitted by eriophyid mites and which produce large double membrane-bound bodies in infected cells. This group of pathogens could include fig mosaic, rose rosette, thistle mosaic, redbud yellow ringspot and wheat spot mosaic virus. High Plains virus is transmitted by Aceria tosichella and occurs on maize, wheat, barley and other grasses. In USA, this virus has been identified in over 100 counties in 10 states throughout the High Plains and Rocky mountains region, and in Florida (on sweet corn samples). It has also been found on samples of sweet corn from Brazil and Chile (new records). Preliminary results of tests tend to suggest that the High Plains virus occurs in other countries from other parts of the world, but this awaits confirmation (Jensen, S.G.; Fithian, W.A.; Berry, J.A.; Ball, E.M.; Hall, J.S. - 6.160).
In China, it is reported that Radopholus similis (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) was found in Nanjing, Fujiang province in 1988 and eradicated in 1993 (Wang, Y.; Wang, C. - 4.6.7).
Tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) has recently been found in several parts of Japan (no more details given) on tomatoes (Onuki, M.; Sakai, J.; Hanada, K. - 1.11.64).
Detailed records
Rhizomania is the major problem in sugar beet production in Turkey. The disease ;was first observed in 1987, and its causal agent (beet necrotic yellow vein furovirus - EPPO A2 quarantine pest) was identified in 1992. It is reported to be present mainly on the Black Sea Coast and Marmara region (Ertunc, F. - 1.13.15).
In Japan, peach latent mosaic viroid (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) has been detected by RT-PCR in several stone fruit species: Prunus persica (peach), P. salicina (Japanese plum), P. mume, P. avium (sweet cherry). It has not been found in P. domestica (European plum) and P. armeniaca (apricot) samples. This confirms earlier reports of peach latent mosaic viroid in Japan (Osaki, H.; Sato, Y.; Tomita, Y.; Kawai, Y.; Miyamoto, Y.; Ohtsu, Y. - 3.7.15).
Phytophthora sojae (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) was first found in Argentina in the 1990s in the region of Buenos Aires (see EPPO 93/162). Recent surveys have been carried out in the main soybean-producing regions and have shown that the disease has increased both in terms of severity and extent. Phytophthora sojae is now found in the following provinces: Cordoba, Santa Fé, Entre Rios and Buenos Aires (Barreto, D.; Anderson, T.R.; Gally, M.; Grijalba, P. - 6.72).
Ralstonia solanacearum (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) biovar 2 (race 3) occurs in potato fields in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Studies made in a naturally infested potato field showed that both biovars 1 and 2 could be found in a single field, and that biovar 2 was predominant in the conditions of Rio Grande do Sul (Maciel, J.L.N.; Silveira, J.R.P.; Van der Sand, S.T.; Duarte, V. - 2.2.15).
In Argentina, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (EPPO A1 quarantine pest) occurs only in the north-east, in the provinces of Corrientes, Entre Rios and Misiones. The disease is absent from the citrus-growing areas in the north-west (provinces of Tucumán, Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy). Since 1991 and in order to maintain these areas free from the disease: 1) checks are made at all points of entry to restrict the introduction of propagating material, fruit and used containers; 2) regular surveys are done to verify the absence of the bacterium by visual inspections and laboratory analysis. Results of the surveys have shown that X. axonopodis pv. citri is still absent from these north-western provinces of Argentina (Ramallo, N.V.; Ramallo, C.J.; Ploper, L.D.; Vera, M.L.; Gonzalez, V.; Muslera, G.; Fonalleras, M.L.; Figueroa, H.M. - 3.7.59).
Sources
Abstracts of papers presented at the 7th International Congress of Plant Pathology, Edinburgh, GB, 1998-08-09/16.