Distribution, sources of infection and psyllid vectors of ’Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ in Finland

Aims:

The aim of the project is to estimate the risk of the frequent occurrence of CLso in carrot and wild plants and psyllids to the cultivation of carrots and related plants and potato in Finland. The occurrence of CLso in several species of psyllids and in the plants they are feeding on will be studied, as well as the way by which the bacteria survive over the cold winters. The project also continues the development of a test for latent Liberibacter infections in potato tubers, and the test will be subsequently used in large-scale tuber testing.

Keywords:

Liberibacter disease in carrots, Zebra chip disease, psyllids, cow parsley, nettle, parsnip, potato

Responsible project leader:

Minna Pirhonen, University of Helsinki

Person at Finnish Food Authority responsible for the project:

Virtanen, Atro, Senior Inspector, Plant Import and Single Market Section;
Tegel, Jukka, Head of Section, Plant Pest Section

In cooperation with:

University of Helsinki;
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke);
Finnish Food Authority

Other partners:

The Phylib Euphresco Era-Net network (The biology and epidemiology of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' and potato phytoplasmas and their contribution to risk management in potato and other crops);
the Ponte network (Pest organisms threatening Europe)

Project status:

In progess

Year of commencement:

2017

Year of completion:

2019

Project is financed by:

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (1506/03.01.02/2016);
EU funding (Ponte);
Rikalan Puutarhasäätiö

Page last updated 7/9/2019