DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PHYTOPLASMA ASSOCIATED WITH ANNUAL BLUE GRASS (POA ANNUA) WHITE LEAF DISEASE IN SOUTHERN ITALY

A phytoplasma was detected in annual blue grass (Pea annua L. Fienardo ), exhibiting white leaf symptoms, that was grown in the fields near C aserta in southern Italy. Based on restriction fragment length polymor phism analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequences, the phytoplasma as sociated with annual blue grass white leaf disease was identified as a new member of phytoplasma 16S rRNA group XI (16SrXI) (type strain, ri ce yellow dwarf phytoplasma). The annual blue grass white leaf phytopl asma is most closely related to Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasma f ound in Asia. Annul blue grass white leaf and Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasmas were designated as the third subgroup (16SrXI-C) of grou p XI. This is the first report that a plant pathogenic phytoplasma bel onging to group 16SrXI is present on the European continent.