Description of two genotypes of Phytomonas associated to oil palm diseases in Peru: Marchites Sorpresiva and a new disease manifestation-Marchites Lenta

• Published in: Phytopathology Vol. 100; no. 6; p. S125
• Main Authors: Albujar, MJT, Ruiz, SSM, Chipana, E T, Zelada, JA, Di Lucca, AT, Piedra, Y M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2010
• Subjects: Phytomonas; Peru
• ISSN: 0031-949X

Demand of oil palm products is worldwide increasing. In Peru the oil palm plantations are expanding, however, palm diseases represent a risk to plantations productivity. Among them, Marchites Sorpresiva (MS) was detected in Palmas del Espino plantation since 1983. Like in other Latin-American regions, Phytomonas were associated to MS. Furthermore, a second clinical manifestation appeared in 2002, which was also a vascular disease. Nevertheless, the former was characterized by a very fast process (palms died in 2 to 3 weeks) compared with the second one (palms died between 16 and 32 weeks). This fact leaded to name the latter Marchites Lenta (slow progression). Interestingly, palms affected by M. Lenta presented scarce number of Phytomonas microorganisms compared with MS. To determine if these two different disease manifestations are due to Phytomonas or correspond to two different Phytomonas, polymorphic DNA sequences were analyzed. DNA was extracted from root saps containing Phytomonas from MS (n = 22) and M. Lenta (n = 131) diseases. Specific PCR analysis of kinetoplast DNA (1000 bp and 800 bp for MS and M. Lenta oil palms, respectively) and miniexon PCR sequencing (-100 bp for both diseases, 1 transition and 1 deletion nucleotide changes was observed in MS) demonstrated that differences were directly correlated to each disease manifestation. These findings support the hypothesis that we would be dealing with two different diseases, associated to two discrete Phytomonas groups.