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Phytoplasmas and Their Insect Vectors: Implications for Date Palm

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Sustainable Pest Management in Date Palm: Current Status and Emerging Challenges

Part of the book series: Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection ((SUPP))

Abstract

Phytoplasmas are transmitted chiefly by insects, most commonly planthoppers and leafhoppers. Molecular genetic analyses have improved the understanding of phytoplasma taxonomy, and also enhanced the ability to identify phytoplasmas detected in hosts and insect vectors. Date palm is affected by Al-Wijam disease in Saudi Arabia and molecularly indistinguishable phytoplasmas (16SrI group) were recovered from affected palms and from Cicadulina bipunctata, an insect commonly found on the palms. The phytoplasma that is associated with the lethal yellowing disease in coconut palm (16SrIV-A) can also infect date palm. In the Americas lethal yellowing is likely to be transmitted by Haplaxius crudus (formerly Myndus crudus). Texas phoenix decline is reported from warm regions of South-East USA and may be transmitted by two species of Derbidae. Phytoplasmas belonging to the 16SrIV-F and 16SrXIV groups have also been identified from date palm growing in the USA and Africa respectively, though vectors have not been identified. Preventing spread in infected vegetative planting material and of vectors is key to limiting the impact of phytoplasma diseases. Management in affected areas can use antibiotics on high value trees, but this is not economical for extensive crops. In these situations, vector control by insecticide use or habitat management can be useful, but the long lifespan of individual palms means that even low vector pressure can lead to infection over successive years. The development of resistant varieties and replanting is the most effective long-term approach developed so far for phytoplasma disease management in this plant species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs. Anne Johnson of Charles Sturt University, Australia for assistance with manuscript preparation. Geoff Gurr is supported by the Australian Research Council, Australia and the Chinese Thousand Talents Program, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Geoff M. Gurr & Jian Liu

  2. Graham Centre, Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, Australia

    Geoff M. Gurr

  3. Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Assunta Bertaccini

  4. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia

    David Gopurenko

  5. USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates, Riverside, CA, USA

    Robert R. Krueger

  6. Plant Protection Department, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid A. Alhudaib

  7. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia

    Murray J. Fletcher

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  1. Geoff M. Gurr
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  2. Assunta Bertaccini
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  3. David Gopurenko
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  4. Robert R. Krueger
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  5. Khalid A. Alhudaib
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  6. Jian Liu
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  7. Murray J. Fletcher
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Correspondence to Geoff M. Gurr .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

    Waqas Wakil

  2. Food and Agriculture Org. of the UN, IPM(Red Palm Weevil), Al-Hass, Saudi Arabia

    Jose Romeno Faleiro

  3. Entomology Department, University of California, RIVERSIDE, California, USA

    Thomas A. Miller

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Gurr, G.M. et al. (2015). Phytoplasmas and Their Insect Vectors: Implications for Date Palm. In: Wakil, W., Romeno Faleiro, J., Miller, T. (eds) Sustainable Pest Management in Date Palm: Current Status and Emerging Challenges. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24397-9_10

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