Phytoplasma, cassava, Vietnam

August 2013. Witches’ broom of cassava is widely distributed in some of the major cassava-growing districts of Vietnam. Two questions were asked: Is it caused by a phytoplasma and is there a lab that can assist with identifications?

It was suggested that CIAT was contacted: http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol60-2007-273-274alvarez.pdf,%20and%20http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-93-11-1139. There is a disease known as frogskin in the Americas, but whether this occurs in other parts of the world was not known. CIAT will be able to provide the information.

Another member said that phytoplasma of cassava was recorded from Wallis and Futuna, and there are records from Central America and Africa too. A useful reference is here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10658-013-0250-3#page-1.

A lab in New Zealand was suggested as a possibility: Investigation and Diagnostic Centre & Response Compliance & Response, MPI, Auckland 1-70, PO Box 2095, New Zealand.