Development of real time PCR kit for diagnostics of grapevine black wood causative agent

Today, phytoplasmas are causative agents of about three hundred different plant diseases. The greatest damage in European vineyards is due to two types of phytoplasmas, Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis Marzorati et al. 2006, the pathogen of flavescence dorée of grapevine, and Candidatus Phytoplasma solani Qualino et al., 2013, the causative agent of black wood of grapevine. Phytoplasma damage of vineyards can lead to crop losses of up to 25-30 %, and when infected up to 70 %, the vineyards should be completely uprooted. Symptoms of various phytoplasma diseases in grape are similar with each other and with viral and bacterial diseases that makes their visual differentiation to species impossible. The wide spread and high damage by phytoplasma diseases require deeper research of phytoplasma epidemiology and relevant molecular genetic diagnostic methods for monitoring phytopathogen in planting material. We have developed the first Russian kit for detection these pathogens by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time PCR) which allows effective identification of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani...