0000000000005269
AUTHOR
Gabriella Cirvilleri
Identification and Detection of Phoma tracheiphila, Causal Agent of Citrus Mal Secco Disease, by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Phoma tracheiphila is the causal agent of a tracheomycotic disease of citrus called mal secco causing the dieback of twigs and branches. This pathogen is of quarantine concern; therefore, fast and reliable protocols are required to detect it promptly. A specific primer pair and a dual-labeled fluorogenic probe were used in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the Cepheid Smart Cycler II System (Transportable Device TD configuration) to detect this fungus in citrus samples. Real-time PCR assay was compared to modified conventional PCR assay. The sensitivity of the former was evaluated by testing P. tracheiphila DNA dilutions, and the minimum amount detectable was about 500 fg, wh…
Bioprospecting of Beneficial Bacteria Traits Associated With Tomato Root in Greenhouse Environment Reveals That Sampling Sites Impact More Than the Root Compartment
Tomato is subject to several diseases that affect both field- and greenhouse-grown crops. To select cost-effective potential biocontrol agents, we used laboratory throughput screening to identify bacterial strains with versatile characteristics suitable for multipurpose uses. The natural diversity of tomato root–associated bacterial communities was bioprospected under a real-world environment represented by an intensive tomato cultivation area characterized by extraseasonal productions in the greenhouse. Approximately 400 tomato root–associated bacterial isolates, in majority Gram-negative bacteria, were isolated from three compartments: the soil close to the root surface (rhizosphere, R), …
Evaluation of oleander accessions for resistance to Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. nerii
Nine oleander accessions were evaluated for resistance to Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. nerii, causal agent of the oleander knot disease. None of the accessions was resistant when tested with three bacterial strains of different virulence, but they varied significantly in the severity of symptoms induced by these strains. The most susceptible accessions "Dark Salmon" (dark salmon flower) showed deformation of stems, leaves and seed pods and secondary knots on aerial parts, whereas the least susceptible one "White" (white flower), inoculated with the least virulent strain, showed neither localized knots at the inoculation point nor secondary symptoms. In this study an in vitro test, based on pr…