Update: New Pest & Disease Records (20 Aug 14)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include 2 new phytoplasma species infecting apple trees in Iran, the first report of Colletotrichum asianum causing anthracnose on Willard mangoes in Sri Lanka and the first report of Groundnut ringspot virus in cucumber fruits in Brazil.
New plant disease records from CABI scientists in 2011
In 2011, CABI scientists helped to discover new occurrences of disease-causing phytoplasmas and fungi in Africa, Asia and Oceania. Our scientists, based in Egham in southeast England, provide the Plantwise diagnostic service free of charge to developing countries to support the plant clinics, which give advice to farmers with plant health problems. They work in…
How plant diseases attract plant pests
In the same way that mosquitoes transmit the malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium, between humans, some species of leafhopper transmit phytoplasma bacteria between plants. Phytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens that infect the plant phloem and require sap-sucking bugs to transport them to other plants. Researchers at the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research Park have found that leafhoppers…