Bahsiev, Aighiuni

The article demonstrates the results of the molecular analysis of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' presence in some weed species, possible reservoirs of infection. During the study, the optimal conditions for the determination of phytoplasma in weeds were selected. The research was carried out over three years. The presence of the pathogen 'Ca. P. solani' was found in the plants of Solanum nigrum and Convolvulus arvense. Also, as a result of the study, it was established that the method of isolation by boiling in alkaline solution is the most efficient and allows to obtain truthful results compared to other methods used.

Tomato is one of the most economically important crops in Republic of Moldova. However, it is affected by a number of pathogens. One of the wide spread diseases is stolbur caused by the infection agent ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’. Accurate diagnostics of the disease at an early stage is essential for successful control of the disease. In this work, we describe detection and quantification of ‘Candida-tus Phytoplasma solani’ in tomato by real-time PCR, as well as suitability of the method for assessing resistance of different tomato varieties to Phytoplasma infection.