Pear decline found in Serbia and Montenegro
In August 2004, pear trees (Pyrus communis) with symptoms of pear decline were observed in orchards in central Serbia. Affected trees showed premature reddening and upward leaf rolling. In some cases, premature defoliation was observed. Molecular tests (PCR tests, RFLP, comparison of sequence) confirmed the presence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’ (EPPO A2 list). According to the authors, this is the first report of pear decline in Serbia*.
The situation of Phytoplasma pyri in Serbia and Montenegro can be described as follows: Present, found in 2004 in central Serbia.
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* However, from an abstract of a paper written in Serbo-Croat (Grbic, 1974) on pear decline vectors in Vojvodina, which now forms part of Serbia and Montenegro, it appears that pear decline has been reported as present in former Yugoslavia since 1966. But from the abstract it cannot be determined in which parts of the country the disease was present (today, pear decline is also known to occur in Croatia and Slovenia).
Grbic (1974) [Some injurious species of the family Psyllidae in pear orchards in Vojvodina] Zastita Bilja, 25(128/129), 121-131.
Sources
Duduk B, Ivanović M, Obradović A, Paltrinieri S, Bertaccini A (2005) First report of pear decline phytoplasmas on pear in Serbia.
Plant Disease 89(7), p 774.
Plant Disease 89(7), p 774.