Scientists of the Plant Sciences Group of Wageningen UR represent the Netherlands in the European COST action of Integrated Management of Phytoplasma Epidemics in Different Crop Systems. This COST programme is an important boost of the EU to European phytoplasma research. COST makes available € 400 000 which enables European scientists to share available knowledge, thus stimulating European collaboration, for four years.
Photo: Phytoplasma in strawberry
The phytoplasm COST action should yield strategies that help preventing the spreading of diseases through phytoplasmas, e.g., by searching for good detection methods for the recognition of phytoplasmas in a plant.
In Europe phytoplasmas cause a lot of damage in grape cultivation in particular. Phytoplasmas also cause damage in the Netherlands. This is why Martin Verbeek and Annette Dullemans (PRI) have now for over two years been working on phytoplasmas in fruit cultivation (apple proliferation) and strawberry cultivation. Maarten de Kock and Khan Pham (PPO) are working on phytoplasmas in bulb crops, pears and peaches.
Phytoplasmas are bacterial types of plant parasites that are lodging in plants. Phytoplasmas are good at hiding in a plant, which makes detection difficult.
Many phytoplasmas are so-called quarantine organisms: very harmful organisms than may not, or to a limited extent, be present in European countries because they may cause large economic damage.
The phytoplasma COST action is led by Prof. Dr. Assunta Bertaccini of the University of Bologna and Dr. Mogens Nicolaisen of the University of Aarhus. Both are heading the phytoplasma working package in the European QBOL project of which Peter Bonants (PRI) is project leader. QBOL maps DNA barcodes of existing collections of quarantine organisms, including phytoplasmas.
More information about the phytoplasma COST action: www.costphytoplasma.eu