Experimental transmission of corn stunt Spiroplasma from Argentina

Corn stunt disease caused by Spiroplasma kunkelii has become more important in Argentina due to the steady increase in its incidence in subtropical areas and to a slow advance to main corn-producing areas located in temperate zones. Risk of epidemic, atipic symptoms and the presence of the disease i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytopathology 2005-06, Vol.95 (6)
Main Authors: Gimenez, M, Carpane, P, Laguna, G, Virla, E, Paradell, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dalbulus maidis
Spiroplasma
Spiroplasma kunkelii
Zea mays
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Summary:Corn stunt disease caused by Spiroplasma kunkelii has become more important in Argentina due to the steady increase in its incidence in subtropical areas and to a slow advance to main corn-producing areas located in temperate zones. Risk of epidemic, atipic symptoms and the presence of the disease in non-endemic areas, were determinant factors for undertake transmission studies. Field vectors and infected maize plants from differents locations were the inoculum source, and were transmitted by natives Dalbulus maidis reared from healthy colony. Transmissions were obtained only from subtropical locations (Tucuman, etc). The "Tucuman 1" isolate was used to characterize relationship between symptom development and pathogen title. Plants varied in symptom severity, allowing to identify two plant groups: Group 1: severe and early (40 days) symptoms leading to premature plant death, together with high pathogen titer; and Group 2: mild and late (70 days) symptoms with development of reproductive structures, related with lower pathogen titer. Consequently, the relationship between pathogen titer and symptom severity is very important in this disease. This is the first report than D. maidis from native argentinian populations transmits S. kunkelii. The isolate maintained in greenhouse will usefull to analyze this relationships and its biological and molecular characteristics.
ISSN:0031-949X