DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION METHODS AND NEW TESTS AS DEVELOPED AND USED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF COST 873 FOR BACTERIA PATHOGENIC TO STONE FRUITS AND NUTS

Abstract

Pseudomonas avellanae, the causal agent of bacterial canker and decline of hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is currently reported in northern Greece and central Italy. Two lineages of the pathogen can effectively be differentiated by using BOX and ERIC-PCR. Three DNAbased techniques can be used to detect and putatively identify P. avellanae directly from infected plant samples. A conventional PCR targets the 16S rRNA gene of the pathogen and yields an amplicon of 762 bp. Another conventional PCR technique targets the hrpW gene sequences of the pathogen and yields an amplicon of about 350 bp. A Taq-Man real-time PCR was also developed to detect P. avellanae from hazelnut twigs. A reliable technique for artificial inoculation of hazelnut twigs is also available.