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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428853
Research Project: Accelerating Blueberry and Cranberry Improvement by Exploiting Germplasm Resources and Multi-omics Technologies

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Advances in detection and relative quantification of the cranberry false blossom disease-associated phytoplasma

Author
item Polashock, James
item Wei, Wei

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A re-emerging bacterial disease of cranberry is threatening sustainability of the industry. The disease, called false blossom, can cause several symptoms, including flower distortion, leading to reduced fruit set and significant yield losses. In this study, we present an enhanced diagnostic protocol targeting to detect the bacterium causing false blossom in crude DNA extracts from infected plants and the insect vector that transmits the disease. The protocol developed is simple, rapid and sensitive. An assay is also described to quantify bacterium in plant tissues. The diagnostic tools presented herein will be widely used by researchers and extension agents to advance early detection and management efforts, thereby mitigating the impact of false blossom disease on cranberry production.

Technical Abstract: False blossom disease of cranberry can cause several symptoms, including flower distortion, leading to reduced fruit set and significant yield losses. The disease is systemic, incurable in affected plants, and primarily spreads via an insect vector. Historically, control efforts in the early 1900s employed effective insecticides and the release of resistant cultivars, but recent reemergence calls for improved detection and management strategies. In this study, we present an enhanced diagnostic protocol targeting the phytoplasma responsible for false blossom disease, detectable in crude extracts from infected plants and the blunt-nosed leafhopper vector. A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay was designed for rapid, field-ready detection, while a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to quantify pathogen loads across various cranberry genotypes. The diagnostic tools presented herein aim to advance early detection and management efforts, thereby mitigating the impact of false blossom disease on cranberry production.