Areca palm yellow leaf (AYL) disease caused by phytoplasma is a devastating disease of areca palm plantation. It is of great significance to clarify the genetic variation of phytoplasmas and the natural hosts in the garden of areca with yellow leaf diseases for the purpose of fully reveal the circulation path and epidemic law of the disease. In this study, the plant samples showing typical disease symptoms associated with phytoplasma were investigated and sampled from the diseased areca garden distributed in different areas of Hainan provinve, China. The target sequences of phytoplasma were amplified and sequenced with universal primers, revealing genetic variation and phylogeny of the phytoplasma. The results showed that 16S rRNA and secA gene fragments specific for phytoplasma was amplified from six plant sample of Trema tomentosa, which were all identical. The 16S rRNA gene fragment of phytoplasma was obtained from one plant sample of Chinaberry. Sequence analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the T. tomentosa witches'-broom phytoplasma (TtWB) strains identified in the study were in 100% similarity with TtWB phytoplasma reported previously. Chinaberry witches'-broom (CWB) phytoplasma strains identified in the study were in 100% similarity with CWB phytoplasma strains reported previously. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that TtWB phyto plasma strains identified in the study were clustered into one evolutionary branch with the phytoplasmas belonging to 16SrⅩⅩⅩⅡ group, CWB phytoplasma strain identified in the study were clustered into one evolutionary branch with the phytoplasmas belonging to 16SrⅠ group. 16S rDNA sequence similarity of phytoplasma was 100% among the strains of CWB and AYL. It is perfectly important for effective prevention and control of areca palm yellow leaf disease to timely clean up the natural hosts of phytoplasma such as chinaberry in areca diseased garden, eliminating the infection source and cutting off the transmission routes of the phytoplasma.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |