1Department of Plant Pathology, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati-517501, Andhra Pradesh, India
2Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural College, Mahanandi-518502, Andhra Pradesh, India
3Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Station, Kadiri-515591, Andhra Pradesh, India
4Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-522034, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author e-mail: Madem Gurivi Reddy (gurivipath@gmail.com)
Online published on 5 March, 2025.
Phyllody, stunting and little leaf symptoms were observed in sesame and groundnut crops in experimental plots of Regional Agricultural Research Station, Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh during the “kharif” season of 2024. The presence of phytoplasmas was confirmed in symptomatic samples using nested PCR assays with phytoplasma-specific universal primer pairs (P1/P7 and R16F2n/ R16R2) and rp multilocus gene primers. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, rp genes and virtual RFLP analysis indicated that phytoplasmas affecting both groundnut and sesame are members of the group 16SrII ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma australasiae=australasiaticum’, subgroup 16SrII-D. This information is critical to support further development of targeted strategies to control phytoplasma diseases.
Phyllody, Groundnut little leaf, Rp gene, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma australasiae=australasiaticum’, Virtual RFLP analysis
