Phytoplasma detection in date palm plant tissues by colony isolation followed by molecular analyses

In the last years, some reports of phytoplasmas presence in date palms have appeared indicating that these pathogens have a growing importance in this crop species. The present work was conducted to verify the possibility to isolate phytoplasmas infecting date palms in Saudi Arabia as alternative and/or complementary method to the amplification of 16Sr ribosomal gene. The comparison of phytoplasma detection from field infected materials and by isolation and colonies in culture indicates that the complexity of phytoplasma associated diseases is greater than believed and it is very likely that the symptomatology observed is the result of complex of microorganisms (mainly phytoplasmas) interaction. Further studies following this methodology would help in the better understanding of this complexity of phytoplasmas toward designing appropriate tools for the containment and management of these epidemic diseases to reduce their economic impact.