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30 November 2023 Leafhoppers as vectors of phytoplasma diseases in Canadian berry crops: a review in the face of climate change
Abraão Almeida Santos, Jordanne Jacques, Nicolas Plante, Valérie Fournier, Edel Pérez-López
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Abstract

Climate change has facilitated the introduction, establishment, and movement of invasive species in northern regions, enabling the colonization of previously unsuitable areas. While the responses of insects to these changes have been increasingly studied, our understanding of how such alterations impact trophic interactions still requires further research to make reliable predictions about the spread of diseases in a warming world. Phytoplasmas, a group of obligate parasitic unculturable Mollicutes, primarily rely on leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) for transmission, spread, and survival. Phytoplasmas are associated with over 600 diseases affecting more than 1,000 plant species, including berries, grapevines, and other small fruits. In North America, diseases such as grapevine yellows, blueberry stunt, and strawberry green petal diseases have been linked to phytoplasma strains transmitted by known leafhopper species. However, the number of phytoplasma diseases has significantly increased in North America over the past decade, suggesting the presence of unidentified vectors or an abundance of leafhopper vectors. This short review provides an overview of the current knowledge on leafhoppers as vectors of phytoplasmas to berries, focusing on the last decade's research in Canada. This paper also explores the potential implications of climate change on this pathosystem, including the anticipated range expansion of leafhopper species, changes in phytoplasma acquisition and transmission, and the risk of new leafhopper-transmitted plant-pathogen introductions through the arrival of new leafhopper species.

Abraão Almeida Santos, Jordanne Jacques, Nicolas Plante, Valérie Fournier, and Edel Pérez-López "Leafhoppers as vectors of phytoplasma diseases in Canadian berry crops: a review in the face of climate change," Annals of the Entomological Society of America 117(1), 14-20, (30 November 2023). https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad038
Received: 12 July 2023; Accepted: 13 November 2023; Published: 30 November 2023
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KEYWORDS
biological invasion
Cicadellidae
climate change
emergent plant disease
sustainable Agriculture
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