Multilocal Genotyping of Sugarcane White Leaf phytoplasma in Thailand.

Abstract

Sugarcan white leaf (SCWL) phytoplasma is a pathogen associated with sugarcane white leaf, a severe disease causing yield losses in sugarcane plantations, particularly in Asian countries. In this study, 174 SCWL symptomatic sugarcane samples were collected from sugarcane growing areas in the North, Northeastern and Central plain of Thailand. The genotyping was performed using partial 16s rDNA and partial internal transcribed spacer and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) based on six genes including tuf, secY, leuS, secA, AAA1 and GroES. The analysis indicated that partial 16s rDNA and partial internal transcribed spacer and other six genes could divide SCWL phytoplasma within sugarcane samples into two groups: 16SrXI-B and 16SrXI-D. Sugarcane samples found throughout the country consisted of SCWL phytoplasma in 16SrXI-B group (85.6%) while 16SrXI-D group was only found in the Northeastern regions. It was either found with 16SrXI-B in Roi et, Kalasin and Mookdahan provinces or alone in Surin province. The outcome of MLST offered extensive diversity studies of SCWL phytoplasma in Thailand which further information for disease management, detection method development and monitoring.