home news forum careers events suppliers solutions markets expos directories catalogs resources advertise contacts
 
News Page

The news
and
beyond the news
Index of news sources
All Africa Asia/Pacific Europe Latin America Middle East North America
  Topics
  Species
Archives
News archive 1997-2008
 

Stewart's wilt on maize in Italy


A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: February 2018

Source: European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Reporting Service 2/2018/038 [edited] <http://archives.eppo.int/EPPOReporting/2018/Rse-1802.pdf>

Detection of _Pantoea stewartii_ in Italy

In Italy, _Pantoea stewartii_ (EPPO A2 List) was detected during official surveys carried out in maize (_Zea mays_) fields in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. In June 2017, a total of 8-10 symptomatic leaves were sampled from 1-5 maize plants growing in the same field (sample size varied according to the plant size). In August 2017, the identity of the bacterium was confirmed in symptomatic leaf samples.

Further surveys are being carried out to determine the distribution of the bacterium in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is noted that in the infected area (7 ha) [17.3 acres] and its surroundings, maize is grown for forage only. The source of this outbreak is still unknown, but investigations are being carried out to clarify the origin of the seeds which have been used.

--

Communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Stewart's wilt of maize is caused by the bacterium _Pantoea stewartii_ subsp. _stewartii_. (Pss; previously _Erwinia stewartii_).

The pathogen is indigenous to the Americas but has been introduced to other parts of the world with maize seed. Symptoms vary on different host varieties but may include leaf stripes, wilting, necrosis of tassels and spots on husks of cobs. Plants may be killed at the seedling stage, infection later in the growth cycle can lead to serious yield losses. Many grassy hosts are susceptible and may serve as pathogen reservoirs.

Primarily, the bacterium is transmitted by and overwinters in insect vectors, but it can also be seed transmitted at a low rate and occasionally overwinters in soil, manure or maize stalks. Insect vectors are mostly responsible for local spread, while infected seed is considered the main route of long distance spread and therefore a quarantine risk. Disease management may include insecticides to reduce vector populations, use of certified disease-free seed and use of resistant maize cultivars.

Pss also causes a leaf blight of rice and is considered an emerging pathogen of that crop (as is _P. ananatis_, ProMED-mail post http://promedmail.org/post/20170504.5012251). Pss fruit bronzing is considered an emerging disease of jackfruit in southern Asia (ProMED-mail posts http://promedmail.org/post/20170905.5294905 & http://promedmail.org/post/20171123.5460703).

The genus _Pantoea_ belongs to the family of _Enterobacteriaceae_, which also comprises genera pathogenic to animals or humans. However, the majority of its members are plant-associated. Other species in the genus can cause diseases on a number of crops, such as leaf blights of cereals (_P. agglomerans_), pink disease of pineapple (_P. citrea_), brown stalk rot of maize (_P. ananatis_ and a novel _Pantoea_ species), or center rot of onion (_P. ananatis_). The effects of different bacterial strains on hosts can vary dramatically. The bacteria are generally transmitted by insect vectors, plant material, and infected seed, making them a quarantine risk.

 

Maps

Italy:

<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/italy/map_of_italy.jpg> and <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/2496>

Italy, provinces and regions:

<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/italy_div96.jpg>

Europe, overview:

<http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MAPS/0_map_europe_political_2001_enlarged.jpg>

 

Pictures

Symptoms of Stewart's wilt on maize:

<http://www.invasive.org/images/768x512/0454008.jpg>,

<http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/info/files/images/plant-disease/229/270.jpg>

and

<http://www.plantpath.cornell.edu/labs/nelson_r/images/photos/Stewart_wilt2.jpg>

 

Links

Information on Stewart's wilt of maize:

<https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/ERWIST> (with pictures), <https://gd.eppo.int/download/doc/115_datasheet_ERWIST.pdf>,

<http://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/StewartsWilt.aspx>,

<https://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/Datasheet.aspx?dsid=21939>,

<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Corn_Stewarts.htm>,

and

<http://fieldcrop.msu.edu/uploads/documents/stewarts_wilt.pdf>

Pss taxonomy:

<http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/66271>

Description of genus _Pantoea_:

<http://www.tgw1916.net/Enterobacteria/Pantoea.html>

Information on _Pantoea_ species and subspecies:

<http://www.bacterio.net/pantoea.html> and <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2643697/>

Genus _Pantoea_ taxonomy and species:

<http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/53335>

EPPO A2 alert list:

<http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/listA2.htm>

- Mod.DHA]

 

[See Also:

2017

----

Pantoea bronzing, jackfruit - Americas: 1st rep (Mexico)

http://promedmail.org/post/20171123.5460703

Pantoea bronzing, jackfruit - Malaysia: 1st rep (PH)

http://promedmail.org/post/20170905.5294905

Pantoea leaf blight, rice - Togo, Benin: 1st reps

http://promedmail.org/post/20170504.5012251

2016

----

Pantoea, papaya - Australia: new subspecies (WA)

http://promedmail.org/post/20160104.3911037

2013

----

Stewart's wilt, maize - Argentina: 1st rep (CB)

http://promedmail.org/post/20130603.1752215

2008

----

P. agglomerans, cereals - Mexico: 1st rep http://promedmail.org/post/20080111.0140]



More news from: ISID (International Society for Infectious Diseases)


Website: http://www.isid.org

Published: March 16, 2018

The news item on this page is copyright by the organization where it originated
Fair use notice

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Archive of the news section

 


Copyright @ 1992-2024 SeedQuest - All rights reserved