TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF LETTUCE PHYLLODY PHYTOPLASMA BY Neoaliturus fenestratus IN FARS

Phytoplasmal lettuce phyllody (LP) disease previously was reported from Fars province is vectored by Neoaliturus fenestratus leafhopper. Transmission characteristics of LP phytoplasma with N. fenestratus including acquisition feeding, latency and inoculation feeding period were studied. The minimum acquisition access period (AAP) was four hours. Transmission increased with AAP. With an AAP of 48 hours, 88.88 % of plants were infected. The minimum latent period (LP) in N. fenestratus was 14 days and transmission increased after this minimum LP. At 32 days postacquisition, 92.85% of plants were infected, but the rate of transmission gradually decreased. The minimum inoculation access period (IAP) was 4 hours. Transmission increased with IAP. At an IAP of 48 hours, 96.66 % of the plants were infected. Results of this study indicate that the transmission processes of acquisition, latency and inoculation occur in much the same pattern as in other plant pathogenic mollicutes.