Phytoplasma diseases of industrial crops

Abstract

Phytoplasmas are associated with diseases in several hundred plant species, including many economically important industrial crops like sugarcane, sugar beet, cassava, and cotton. A number of phytoplasma diseases are associated with sugarcane. Originally restricted to Asian countries, they are spreading rapidly to newer locations with the help of infected seed material and leafhopper vectors. In cassava, the two phytoplasma diseases causing serious yield losses are cassava frog skin in Latin America and cassava witches' broom in Asia. Because of unreliable and nonspecific symptoms, the identification and characterization of the phytoplasmas associated with these and other industrial crops at an early stage of plant growth are challenging. Here the progress made in understanding biology, economic importance, symptomatology, diagnosis, epidemiology, and control of phytoplasmas infecting sugarcane, sugar beet, cassava, and cotton crops are summarized.