‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ found on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in Honduras and Nicaragua
In April 2012, unusual symptoms were observed in commercial fields of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in Honduras (department of El-Paraíso), as well as in Nicaragua (several departments, including Esteli and Nueva Segovia). Affected plants showed apical leaf curling and stunting, overall chlorosis and plant stunting, young plant deformation with cabbage-like leaves, wilting, and internal vascular necrosis of stems and leaf petioles. All tobacco cultivars grown were affected, and disease incidence ranged from 5 to 100%. Tobacco fields were also heavily infested by Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae – EPPO A1 List). Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (EPPO A1 List, Solanaceae haplotypes) in diseased tobacco plants. This is the first time that tobacco is recorded as a host of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’.
Sources
Aguilar E, Sengoda VG, Bextine B, McCue KF, Munyaneza JE (2013) First report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ on tobacco in Honduras. Plant Disease 97(10), 1376-1377.
Munyaneza JE, Sengoda VG, Aguilar E, Bextine B, McCue KF (2013) First report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ associated with psyllid-infested tobacco in Nicaragua. Plant Disease 97(9), 1244-1245.