Development of an experimental system for pathogenicity tests of Xylella fastidiosa of citrus variegated chlorosis in sweet orange (C. sinensis (L) Osb)

Abstract

To develop a standardized and optimized experimental system of pathogenicity tests of CVC Xylella fastidiosa, which is essential for the functional genome project, also for further progress in research on pathology, ecology, epidemiology, and control of the disease, two CVC X. fastidiosa strains, one of which is the triply cloned strain 9a5c sequenced by FAPESP genome project, the other is the strain with which Koch's postulates have been fulfilled for the CVC disease in Brazil, will be inoculated in Pera sweet orange (C. sinensis (L.) Osb.), in this project. Four phases of the bacterium growth stage in medium, four ages of sweet orange seedlings, four different temperatures in growth chambers, four inoculation sites in plants and three water stress statues will be compared to study the infection ability of the bacterium at different stages, the susceptibility of sweet orange seedling age to the bacterium, the influences of temperature and water stress on CVC inoculation and pathogenicity of CVC bacterium strains in sweet orange. (AU)