Study of methods for detecting quarantine phytoplasma's from the apple proliferation group on the territory of Russia

To determine the phytosanitary state of the fruit orchards, samples were collected from plants and tested for the presence of phytoplasmas of the apple proliferation group. The samples of pear, quince and apple trees from different regions were analysed with visual inspection and molecular identification. On the collected samples, the symptoms characteristic of the diseases associated with the phytoplasmas of the apple proliferation group were observed. Only in one case positive results were obtained with the detection of the pear decline agent in southern Russia. Infected plants were uprooted and discarded to prevent the spread of the infection. A commercial quantitative PCR test was developed for the fast identification of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ and ‘Ca. P. pyri’ in order to carry out the surveys.