Pest survey card on flavescence dorée phytoplasma and its vector Scaphoideus titanus

Abstract

This pest survey card was prepared in the context of the EFSA mandate on plant pest surveillance (M2017‐0137) at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to guide the Member States in preparing data and information for Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp) and its vector Scaphoideus titanus that are required to design statistically sound and risk‐based surveys, in line with current international standards. Flavescence dorée phytoplasmais a Union quarantine pest known to occur only in Europe, whereas its main vector S. titanus is a monophagous leaf hopper that has been introduced into the EU and is not regulatedin the EU. Both FDp and S. titanus are currently present in most of the main grape‐growing EU Member States. The alternative hosts and other putative vectors of FDp play a secondary role in the epidemics. Spread of FDp in the EU can occur mainly through the internal movement of plants for planting of grapevine and the spread of infected vectors. Detection surveys for both FDp and S. titanusshould focus on commercial and productive vineyards and nurseries, wherever present in the EU, while in the event of an outbreak, delimiting surveys should extend to the wild and American Vitis spp. plants that can be found in abandoned vineyards, in the wild or grown in backyards and gardens, and that can have a crucial role in primary infections. IfS. titanus is present in an FDp outbreak area, the delimiting survey could be extended to occasional vectors of FDp and alternative hosts in order to also consider the spread of FDp from those reservoirs. Visual inspections are effective for identifying the vector but not for FDp, which requires confirmation by molecular methods.

Bayesian inference for spatio-temporal stochastic transmission of plant disease in the presence of roguing: a case study to estimate the dispersal distance of Flavescence dorée

“…The corresponding high sensitivity and specificity of FD detection are strongly supported for the sampling period in autumn. Indeed, the visual identification of FD symptoms is much easier then [51], as this period is the ideal time December 14, 2022 14/25 for the expression of certain specific symptoms, such as grape shrivelling and the non-lignification of canes [52]. Based on this premise, model inference relies on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods with data augmentation and allows extraction of new insights into the spread of FD.…”

Impact of the “Flavescence Dorée” Phytoplasma on Xylem Growth and Anatomical Characteristics in Trunks of ‘Chardonnay’ Grapevines (Vitis vinifera)

“…The FDp status of each sample was determined by triplex qPCR, including a Vitis host gene as the extraction control, according to Pelletier et al [ 23 ], using the GoTaq Probe qPCR kit (Promega). The presence of “Bois Noir” phytoplasma (BNp) was also tested since BNp causes the same set of external symptoms on grapevines as FDp and is only distinguishable through PCR analysis [ 3 ]. Cycling conditions were 5 min at 95 °C followed by 42 cycles of 15 sec at 95 °C and 30 sec at 60 °C, using a CFX96 real-time PCR instrument (Bio-Rad).…”

“…Flavescence dorée (FD) is a grapevine disease caused by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis' (FDp) [1,2], which results in severe damage or even death to grapevines (Vitis spp.) with Biology 2022, 11, 978 2 of 14 detrimental agronomic consequences [3]. FDp is a quarantine organism in Europe and its epidemic transmission is assured by the highly competent Nearctic leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus [4][5][6].…”

Silencing of ATP Synthase β Impairs Egg Development in the Leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus, Vector of the Phytoplasma Associated with Grapevine Flavescence Dorée

“…Scaphoideus titanus was first reported in the late 1950s in France, before spreading throughout the continent, and its current distribution ranges from southern Italy to Hungary and from Portugal to Romania [ 3 ]. Scaphoideus titanus is the primary vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp), a quarantine pest of grapevine in the EU with a severe impact on European viticulture [ 4 , 5 ]. Phytoplasmas are a group of cell wall-less bacteria with small genome sizes (530–2220 kb) belonging to the class Mollicutes and to date, mainly based on 16Sr genetic data, 47 ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma species’ have been described [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”