DETECTION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A 16SrIX-C

During 2014 surveys for phytoplasma diseases, hemp witches'-broom (HWB) disease was observed in Zarghan (Fars province, Iran). The HWB agent was successfully transmitted from naturally infected hemp to periwinkle plants through dodder which showed phytoplasma-like symptoms. Total DNA extracted from field collected symptomatic hemp plants and dodder inoculated periwinkle plants yielded expected amplified products in PCR using phytoplasma specific universal primers. Pairwise sequence comparison, RFLP and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA and rp gene sequences revealed that a 16SrIX-C subgroup phytoplasma was associated with HWB disease. This is the first report of 16SrIX group phytoplasma on hemp.