Phytopathogenic Mollicutes
SCOPUS
  • Year: 2015
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 2

‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’-and ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’-related strains associated with phyllody and witches’ broom disease of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) in India

1Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

2Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding author e-mail: Govind Pratap Rao, gprao_gor@rediffmail.com

Online published on 13 January, 2016.

Abstract

Sunn hemp plants grown in the fields of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University Campus at Coimbatore, India exhibited witches’ broom, phyllody, and prolferation of flowers in 2013 and 2014. Nested PCR assays and sequence analysis on ribosomal DNA indicated the symptom association with two phytoplasma strains related to ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ and ‘Ca P. aurantifolia’ that are reported for the first time in India in this species.

Keywords

Sunnhemp, phytoplasmas, India