bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First Report of Aglaonema Bacterial Blight Caused by Erwinia chrysanthemi in Taiwan
Authors: Chao Y. C. , Feng C. T. , Ho W. C. 
Published: May 2007

Aglaonema (Aglaonema spp.) is a popular ornamental potted plant in Taiwan. In 2003, leaves showing soft rot symptoms were found on a number of Sithiporn aglaonema (A. marantifoloum var. tricolor × A. rotundum) plants in a nursery in southern Taiwan. The disease usually started from leaf tips or wounded sites and the affected areas appeared water soaked. The diseased tissue subsequently turned dark brown and became fragile. More than 50% of Sithiporn aglaonema plants were destroyed in the affected nursery. Bacteria isolated from the symptomatic leaves grew at 39°C, degraded pectate, caused soft rot on slices of potato tuber and petioles of Chinese cabbage, produced phosphatase and lecithinase, and utilized malonate, but did not grow in 5% NaCl or produce acid from trehalose. These characteristics were similar to those of Erwinia chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. (1,2) and the reference strain OS2 from Phalaenopsis sp. provided by K. C. Tzeng of National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using the primer pair 5A (5′ GCGGTTGTTCACCAGGTGTTTT 3′) and 5B (5′ ATGCACGCTACCTGGAAGTAT 3′) specific for E. chrysanthemi (4) confirmed the identity of all seven isolates tested as E. chrysanthemi. The primer pair 5A/5B was designed from the sequences of pT8-1, idg (a gene for blue-pigment synthesis), and pecS (a gene for regulation of pectinase, cellulose, and pigment production). PCR products amplified from E. chrysanthemi DNA with the 5A/5B primer were 500 bp (4). Pathogenicity of isolates was confirmed by rubbing the leaf surface of Sithiporn aglaonema plants with Carborundum and spraying the wounded surface with a bacterial suspension at 1 × 108 CFU/ml in the greenhouse. Plant leaves sprayed with distilled water were used as the control. Three leaves were inoculated for each isolate, and the experiment was conducted twice. Symptoms appeared within 24 h after inoculation. All seven isolates tested were pathogenic, causing an average of 86 to 95% of inoculated leaves to show water-soaked symptoms similar to these observed in nature. Symptoms did not occur on control leaves. E. chrysanthemi was reisolated from diseased tissues of inoculated leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial blight caused by E. chrysanthemi on aglaonema in Taiwan and the first report of the disease on the Sithiporn cultivar of aglaonema. This disease on aglaonema was previously reported in the United States (3). References: (1) R. S. Dickey and A. Kelman. Page 44 in: Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. N. W. Schaad, ed. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1988. (2) M. Goto and K. Matsumoto. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 37:130, 1987. (3) L. A. McFadden. Plant Dis. Rep. 53:253. 1969. (4) M. G. Zhu. Ph.D. diss, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, 1995.
First Report of Beet pseudo-yellows virus and Strawberry pallidosis associated virus in Strawberry in Peru
Authors: Wintermantel W. M. , Fuentes S. , Chuquillanqui C. , Salazar L. F. 
Published: May 2007

During a 2006 survey for the presence of criniviruses in Peru, large numbers of greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) were observed infesting strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fields near Huaral on the central coast of Peru. Plants exhibited a wide range of symptoms including stunting and reddening of leaves. These symptoms are characteristic of those induced by the presence of the criniviruses Beet pseudo-yellows virus (BPYV) and/or Strawberry pallidosis associated virus (SPaV) together with any of a number of different strawberry-infecting viruses (1,3). The virus complex causes older leaves to develop a red color, vein and petiole reddening, roots become stunted, and plants fail to develop. Leaf samples with varying symptoms were collected from 22 plants from 2 fields, each planted with a different cultivar. Total nucleic acid was extracted, spotted onto positively charged nylon membranes, and tested by hybridization with probes specific to the minor coat protein (CPm) gene of BPYV (2) and coat protein (CP) gene of SPaV (4). Results identified the presence of BPYV, SPaV, or both viruses in mixed infections in symptomatic strawberry, while control plants were infected with each virus individually. No signal was detected in virus-free strawberry. Secondary confirmation was obtained using probes specific to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes of SPaV and BPYV. The SPaV probe corresponded to nucleotides 6116–6599 of SPaV RNA1 (GenBank Accession No. NC_005895), whereas the BPYV probe corresponded to nucleotides 6076–6447 of BPYV RNA1 (GenBank Accession No. NC_005209). All probes were generated by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification using sequence-specific primers, cloning of RT-PCR products into pGEM-T Easy (Promega, Madison, WI), confirmation by sequencing, and expression as digoxygenin-labeled transcript probes (Roche, Indianapolis, IN). Field 1, containing cv. Fern Sancho, had the largest number of symptomatic and infected plants (5 of 12 BPYV, 6 of 12 SPaV, and 4 of 12 with both). Only 1 of 10 plants from field 2 containing cv. Tajo Holandesa was infected, but with both SPaV and BPYV. BPYV and SPaV are transmitted by the greenhouse whitefly (T. vaporariorum), although BPYV is transmitted much more efficiently and has a broader host range than SPaV (4). Movement of these viruses in Peru is likely a result of both propagation by runners and vector transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first report of either virus in Peru. References: R. R Martin and I. E. Tzanetakis. Plant Dis. 90:384, 2006. (2) I. E. Tzanetakis and R. R. Martin. Plant Dis. 88:223, 2004. (3) I. E. Tzanetakis et al. Plant Dis. 87:1398, 2003. (4) I. E. Tzanetakis et al. Plant Dis. 90:1343, 2006.
First Report of Psittacanthus macrantherus on Pinus devoniana and Quercus castanea in Mexico
Authors: Howell B. , Kenaley S. , Mathiasen R. 
Published: May 2007

The mistletoe Psittacanthus macrantherus Eichl. (Loranthaceae) is an important parasite of pines (Pinus spp., Pinaceae) in Mexico (1). It has been reported to parasitize Pinus engelmannii Carr., P. herrerai Mart., P. lawsonii Roezl ex Gord. & Glend., P. lumholtzii Robins & Fern., P. oocarpa Schiede, and P. pseudostrobus Lindl. (1). During July 2005, we found this mistletoe parasitizing P. devoniana Lindl. and Quercus castanea Nee near Route 40 in Sinaloa, Mexico approximately 12 km west of El Palmito (23°30′N, 105°07′W, elevation 1,900 m). The mistletoe was common in P. devoniana, and some trees were severely infected (>10 plants per tree). However, no mortality associated with mistletoe infection in P. devoniana was observed. Only one infected tree of Q. castanea was observed in this area and it was not severely infected. We also observed this mistletoe on P. douglasiana Mart. along Route 40 west and east of El Palmito, but no specimens were collected because plants were very high in the crowns of the infected trees. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this mistletoe parasitizing P. devoniana, P. douglasiana, and Q. castanea (1). Specimens of Psittacanthus macrantherus from P. devoniana and Q. castenea have been deposited at the Deaver Herbarium (ASC), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (Accession Nos. 79534 and 79535). References: (1) B. Geils et al. Mistletoes of North American conifers. USDA For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-98, 2002.
Molecular Characterization of a Distinct Begomovirus Associated with Tomato Leaf Curl Disease in Arusha of Tanzania
Authors: Shih S. L. , Tsai W. S. , Green S. K. , Lee L. M. 
Published: May 2007

Mild leaf curling and yellowing symptoms were observed in approximately 5% of 1-month-old tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) in a farmer's field in Tengeru, Arusha, Tanzania in January 2006. DNA was extracted from four symptomatic and five asymptomatic plants and tested for the presence of begomovirus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primer pair PAL1v1978/PAR1c715 (4). All asymptomatic samples were negative. Two of four symptomatic samples yielded the expected 1.4-kb DNA-A fragment for begomovirus. DNA-B was not detected in these two samples by PCR using the DNA-B degenerate primer pairs DNABLC1/DNABLV2 and DNABLC2/DNABLV2 (2), and PBL1v2040/PCRc1 and PBL1v2040/PCRc154 (4). DNA-beta was also not detectable using DNA-beta specific primers (1). The 1.4-kb PCR product from one sample was cloned and sequenced. On the basis of the sequence of the 1.4-kb DNA product, specific primers were designed to complete the DNA-A sequence. The DNA-A consisted of 2,766 nucleotides (Genbank Accession No. DQ519575) and was found to contain the geminiviral conserved nanosequence-TAATATTAC in the intergenic region and the six predicted open reading frames (V1, V2, C1, C2, C3, and C4). BLAST analysis was conducted with geminivirus sequences available in GenBank, and MegAlign software (DNASTAR, Inc, Madison, WI) was used for further comparisons. Highest sequence identity (84%) was with the partially sequenced Tomato leaf curl Tanzania virus found in Makutupora, Tanzania in 1994 (1,523 nucleotides, Genbank Accession No. U73498) in the 1,919 nt to 679 nt region. Low sequence identity (78%) was noted with Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (Genbank Accession No. X61153) that is reportedly prevalent in Arusha, Morogoro, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam of Tanzania (3). Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of this new virus with those of full-length begomoviral DNA-A available in GenBank indicated highest sequence identity (81%) with Tomato leaf curl Mayotte virus (EMBL Accession No. AJ865341). On the basis of the DNA-A sequence comparisons and the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses proposed species demarcation of 89% sequence identity, the tomato leaf curl virus from Arusha, Tanzania constitutes a distinct begomovirus and the name Tomato leaf curl Arusha virus is proposed. References: (1) R. W. Briddon et al. Mol. Biotechnol. 20:315, 2002. (2) S. K. Green et al. Plant Dis. 85:1286, 2001. (3) B. D. Kashina et al. Arch. Phytopathol. Plant Prot. 35:255, 2002 (4) M. R. Rojas et al. Plant Dis. 77:340, 1993.
First Report of Ramularia cercosporelloides on Carthamus tinctorius in Northwestern Mexico
Authors: Huerta-Espino J. , Constantinescu O. , Velásquez C. , Herrera-Foessel S. A. , Figueroa-Lopez P. 
Published: May 2007

Severe yield losses caused by an unidentified fungal disease occurred on safflower in Sonora, Mexico from 2001 to 2006. Leaf spots were pale at the beginning and became sunken lesions, spots turned brown, and diseased tissue became necrotic. Under continuous presence of dew, new infections occurred and the number of lesions increased, coalesced, and eventually the entire leaf and plant turned brown and dried up. The fungus appears as a whitish mold covering the lesions. Observations with a dissecting microscope revealed fungal growth on both leaf surfaces. Spots had minute, gray-to-pink tufts emerging from the host tissues. Stromata were roughly spherical, 35 to 55 μm in diameter, developed under the epidermis near the edge of the spots from which conidiophores arose. Fascicles of conidiophores emerged through stomata from colorless or slightly yellowish stroma and were simple, colorless, or slightly yellowish, as much as 85 μm long and 2.5 to 3 μm wide, with a pigmented scar at the tip. Conidia, formed in chains at scar sites on conidiophores, were colorless, obclavate, 0 to 1 septate, approximately 24 to 32 μm long, and 4.5 to 7 μm wide at the broadest part with a pigmented scar either at the base or at both ends. On the basis of symptoms and fungal morphology, the pathogen was identified as Ramularia cercosporelloides U. Braun & Crous (=Cercosporella carthami) (1). Seven specimens were deposited at the Uppsala University Herbarium as Nos. UPS F-119998 to 120004. Conidia were transferred to water agar plates from symptomatic leaves after 8 days in a humid chamber. Ten single conidia were plated onto a Septoria tritici medium (4 g each of malt extract, yeast extract, and sucrose, and 18 g of agar per liter of water). Colonies of the fungus were white-to-light pink with irregular margins and very slow in growth. Inoculum was produced by transferring 2 ml of distilled water containing conidia onto petri plates filled with Septoria medium. Plates were incubated at 18°C for 12 days. Water suspension was amended with two drops of Tween 20 per liter of inoculum. Pathogenicity of five isolates was confirmed by spraying a suspension of 1.0 × 105 conidia/ml onto five pots of four direct-seeded adult plants of cv. S-518 per isolate. Plants were kept in a dew chamber (20°C) for 48 h under 16 h of darkness and 8 h of light and then in a greenhouse (20 to 24°C). After 2 weeks, leaves developed the characteristic spots, and R. cercosporelloides was isolated from symptomatic tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. cercosporelloides on safflower, not only in Mexico, but also on the American continent. Reference: (1) U. Braun. A monograph of Cercosporella, Ramularia and allied genera (Phytopathogenic Hyphomycetes). Vol 2. IHW-Verlag. Eching bei Munchen, 1998.
First Report of Phytophthora capsici Causing Wilt on Hydropronically Grown Cucumber in Mexico
Authors: Fernández-Pavía S. P. , Rodríguez-Alvarado G. , López-Ordaz A. , Fernández-Pavía Y. L. 
Published: May 2007

During August 2005, wilted cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Tasty Green) plants were observed in a commercial greenhouse with a closed hydroponic system in the state of Mexico. Disease incidence was 50%. Diseased plants were detected 15 days after transplanting, when plants were overwatered. Yield was severely reduced when disease affected mature plants. Wilted plants showed basal stem lesions and root rot. Phytophthora capsici was consistently isolated from diseased tissue on corn meal agar (CMA) with tartaric acid. Oomycete identification was based on sporangial and gametangial characteristics (2). Sporangia produced on blocks of CMA at 25°C were spherical, broadly ellipsoid or obovoid with one papillae, and deciduous with a long pedicel (1). The isolates were heterothallic, and oogonia with amphigynous antheridia were observed in pairings with an A1 isolate of P. capsici, therefore, the isolates were determined to be an A2. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 2-month-old cucumber seedlings under controlled conditions (25°C). Inoculation was performed by placing small pieces of agar with mycelium of 5- to 7-day-old cultures on the stem base and wrapping with Parafilm. Control plants were inoculated with CMA agar. No symptoms were observed on the control. Plants inoculated with the P. capsici isolated from the diseased cucumbers showed a basal stem lesion, followed by wilting and death 7 to 14 days after inoculation. The isolate was also pathogenic on tomato and eggplant that were grown at the same time in the commercial greenhouse sharing the nutrient solution. P. capsici sporangia were observed on the roots of both hosts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. capsici affecting cucumber in a hydroponics system in Mexico. References: (1) M. Aragaki and J. Y. Uchida. Mycologia 93:137, 2001. (2) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul MN, 1996.
First Report of a Canker Disease of Walnut Caused by Botryodiplodia theobromae in Egypt
Authors: Haggag W. M. , Abou Rayya M. S. M. , Kasim N. E. 
Published: May 2007

Botryodiplodia spp. are known to produce cankers and dieback of several woody hosts. Botryodiplodia diseases were observed in 7-year-old orchards in Rhafah, north of Sinai, Egypt, in July 2005 and 2006. Symptoms appeared as dieback and cankers with dead leaves that were covered mostly with grayish white fungal growth; black pycnidia appeared on the surface of the infected branches. Plant foliage was discolored and partially or completely dry. When the outer bark was removed, the affected tissue appeared dark brown, in contrast to the yellowish green of healthy inner bark. On the basis of morphological characteristics (3), these fungi were identified as Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. by the Plant Pathology Department, National Research Centre. Sporulating lesions were black and had a rough surface caused by the erumpent, confluent arrangement of pycnidia formed in infected tissue. The pycnidia were smallest in naturally infected twigs in nutritionally rich medium such as oatmeal agar (190 to 887 × 155 to 705 μm). Conidia were initially hyaline and unicellular, subovoid to ellipsoidal with a granular content. Mature conidia were two-celled, cinnamon to light brown, and often with longitudinal striations. Conidia measured 20 to 30 × 12 to 15 μm. Pathogenicity of isolates from symptomatic branches was determined by branch inoculations on rooted cuttings made from 7-year-old walnut trees growing in plastic pots. One isolate was inoculated on wounded and unwounded twigs using 100 μl of a suspension of 5 × 105 conidia per ml. Control branches were sprayed with water. All inoculated and control plants were kept in a greenhouse and watered as needed. There were three replicate plants for each isolate and inoculation technique that was used. After 3 weeks, cankers and grayish necrotic lesions developed on all inoculated plants. Samples of tissue from 10 infected walnut branches were plated on water agar. B. theobromae was recovered from all sampled plants. Control plants did not display any symptoms. B. theobromae has been reported on species of walnut from the Hermosillo Coast of Mexico (1) and India (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of walnut dieback and canker caused by this pathogen in Egypt. References: (1) J. A. Arredondo. Rev. Mex. Fitopatol. 12:138, 1994. (2) B. Kusum. Indian J. Mycol. Plant Pathol. 21:295, 1991. (3). S. Masilamani and J. Muthumary. Mycol. Res. 100:1383, 1996.
First Report of Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid in Petunia hybrida from the United States of America
Authors: Verhoeven J. Th. J. , Jansen C. C. C. , Werkman A. W. , Roenhorst J. W. 
Published: May 2007

In November 2005, 13 accessions of Petunia hybrida from the United States of America entered the post-entry quarantine station of the Plant Protection Service in the Netherlands. The plants were inspected and tested for quarantine organisms according to Directives 95/44 and 97/46 of the European Union. No virus and viroid symptoms were observed in the imported plants or in mechanically inoculated plants of Chenopodium quinoa, Nicotiana benthamiana, and N. occidentalis-P1 (3). Testing for pospiviroids by return-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1) and reverse transcriptase-PCR with universal pospiviroid primers Pospi1-RE/FW (2) indicated the presence of pospiviroids in 3 and 11 P. hybrida accessions, respectively. The 196-bp amplicons of six accessions were sequenced. Sequence analysis showed the highest identity for all amplicons to both isolates of Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) in NCBI GenBank, Accession Nos. AF162131and AY372399, from Canada and the United States, respectively. Additional RT-PCRs with the Pospi1-RE/FW primers in opposite order and the semi-universal pospiviroid primers Vid-RE/FW (2) for one isolate, followed by sequence analysis, confirmed the identity as TCDVd. The isolate consisted of 359 nucleotides (GenBank Accession No. DQ859013) and showed sequence identities of 98.6 and 96.1% to the Canadian and American tomato isolates of this viroid, respectively. The next highest sequence identity was 90.0% to two accessions of Potato spindle tuber viroid (GenBank Accession Nos. AJ593449 and AY962324). On the basis of these results, the viroid from P. hybrida was identified as TCDVd. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TCDVd in this plant species. Reference: (1) J. W. Roenhorst et al. EPPO Bull. 30:453, 2000. (2) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:823, 2004. (3) J. Th. J. Verhoeven and J. W. Roenhorst. EPPO Bull. 33:305, 2003.
Occurrence of Meloidogyne spartinae on Spartina alterniflora in Connecticut and Massachusetts
Authors: LaMondia J. A. , Elmer W. H. 
Published: May 2007

Meloidogyne spartinae (Rau & Fassuliotis, 1965) was described from roots of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel) in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, and New York (1,2). Affected plants were sampled in declining saltwater marshes at the Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet, MA in May 2006 and Hammonassett State Park in Madison, CT in August 2006. Plants in adjacent, healthy stands were also sampled. Females, males, juveniles, and eggs of nematodes identified as M. spartinae were visible in roots stained with acid fuschin or were dissected from terminal galls at the root apex and from pockets in the root cortex where no galling was evident. The circular to ovoid terminal galls typically stopped root elongation. Morphological characteristics were used to identify this nematode as M. spartinae. Mature females in the root cortex were visible under a discolored lesion that appeared to result from a split in the cortex, probably from female expansion during development. Females were oval to lemon shaped with the neck protruding markedly to one side. Females also exhibited protruding perineal regions. In terminal galls, females were oriented toward the root tip; however, in the root cortex they were oriented either toward the root tip or toward the crown, with no obvious pattern. Egg masses were not observed and the eggs were deposited freely inside the gall or root cortex. Second-stage juveniles were long (730.3 μm, n = 60) with an elongate tail terminus. Males (2,203 μm, n = 40) were present in galls containing females. No morphological differences were observed between nematodes from the terminal galls or root cortex. M. spartinae was widespread in declining and adjacent healthy S. alterniflora. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. spartinae from Connecticut and Massachusetts and the first report of M. spartinae development within root cortical tissues without gall formation. The role of this nematode in the sudden wetland dieback phenomenon (3) is being investigated. References: (1) J. D. Eisenback and H. Hirschmann. Nematology 3:303, 2001. (2) G. J. Rau and G. Fassuliotis. Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 32:159, 1965. (3) E. C. Webb and I. A Mendelssohn. Am. J. Bot. 83:1429, 1996.