First report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ on carrots in Israel
The NPPO of Israel recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (the potato haplotypes are listed in the EPPO A1 List) on its territory. ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ was detected in commercial fields of carrot (Daucus carota cvs ‘Nairobi’, ‘Maestro’, ‘Dordogne’) in Northern and Southern Israel. The pathogen was identified in symptomatic carrot plants by both classical and real-time PCR assays. In addition, sequencing confirmed the identity of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ and determined that the haplotype present was haplotype D which infects Apiaceae only. ‘Ca. L. solanacearum was also identified in specimens of its psyllid vector, Bactericera trigonica, collected from the field. No specific phytosanitary measures were taken.
The pest status of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ in Israel is officially declared as: Present, in all parts of the area where host crop is grown.
Sources
NPPO of Israel (2016-11).