European stone fruit Yellows phytoplasma in Japanese plum and Myrobalan plum in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stone fruits from commercial as well as abandoned orchards were evaluated for European Stone Fruit Yellows phytoplasma (ESFY) presence during 2004-2007 years. Orchards were monitored in western and southern districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the first survey conducted in period of 2004 till 2005 the causal agent of ESFY was identified on peach (Prunus persica) and apricot (Prunus armeniaca) plants in both surveyed districts. During 2007, a new survey was performed and samples were taken from symptomatic and symptomless plants of European plum (Prunus domestica), Japanese plum (Prunus salicina), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera) and cherry (Prunus avium). Samples were analyzed using real-time PCR and nested PCR approaches. In this extended survey, the presence of ESFY phytoplasma was additionally identified in Japanese plum and myrobalan plum trees.