Gravi malformazioni in melanzana in Sicilia associate alla presenza di fitoplasmi

Stunting and leaf malformation were repeatedly observed during vegetative growth in eggplant cultivations located in Sicily (Ragusa). Symptoms appear during first weeks after transplantation, and modify normal shape of plants as well as decrease their production, in several cases stunting was present but only in half of the plant. The disease was scattered distributed in the fields and with percentages below 10%. Samples were collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants, and shoots and midribs were used for nucleic acid exstraction to verify possible phytoplasma presence and identity. Nested PCR assays with primers P1/P7 followed by R16mF1/R16mR1 (Gundersen and Lee, 1996) allow to obt…