First report of maize redness disease in Hungary

Abstract

During 2010, several maize production areas in Hungary were surveyed for the occurrence of maize redness (MR) disease symptoms associated with stolbur phytoplasma, as well as for the presence of the known vector of the disease, a planthopper Reptalus panzeri (Low). Incidence of maize plants with symptoms of reddening was low in all surveyed areas. Altogether, 25 symptomatic maize plants were collected at 9 localities and tested for phytoplasma presence. In addition, from one locality specimens of cixiids R. panzeri and Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret were collected and PCR analyzed. Presence of stolbur phytoplasma in MR symptomatic maize plants and stolbur-infected R. panzeri was identified at the single locality Monorierdo in central Hungary. This finding represents the first report of MR presence in Hungary.