Biological, ecological, epidemiological and management aspects of Candidatus Liberibacter

"T his paper provides an overview of the biological, ecological, epidemiological and management aspects of Candidatus Liberibacter, a bacterium recently introduced into Mexico that is associated with diseases such as citrus Huanglongbing, Zebra chip and chili pepper variegation. Plants affected with Ca . Liberibacter have multiple swellings located in the necrotic phloem and dispersed throughout the vascular system, massive accumulation of starch, aberrations in cambial activity and excessive formation of phloem. It is suggested that phloem necrosis causes blockage of the nutrient translocation stream, which leads to anatomical changes such as mottling and vein yellowing. Ca . Liberibacter control focuses on reducing inoculum sources, such as the use of healthy plants, removal of symptomatic trees and chemical control of the insect vector to reduce the transmission of the bacterium."