Detection and identification of plant pathogen phytoplasmas causing diseases in soybean production areas of Adana province

There are many disease agents that cause significant quality and yield losses in soybean cultivation in the world. Diseases caused by phytoplasmas, which are important pathogens among these disease agents, cause very serious yield losses. Phytoplasmas constitute a major problem because they restrict soybean production. On the other hand, soybean is an intermediate host for phytoplasma agents and is a pathogen source for phytoplasmas that can cause infection in other crop plants. Within the scope of the research, it was aimed to reveal the presence of phytoplasma infections in the production areas where soybean cultivation is carried out in the districts of Adana, which phytoplasma agent causes the diseases, if any, and its phylogenetic relationship with other phytoplasmas in the world. In line with this goal, soybean plants were checked symptomatically in the production areas where the research was conducted. In the field inspections, plants showing symptoms such as yellowing, leaf shrinkage, stunting, bushyness, leaf-shaped formation in places where flowers are located and color change in flower petals, which are thought to be caused by phytoplasmas, were targeted and samples were collected from these plants. On the other hand, samples were also taken from healthy plants. DNA was isolated from the midrib of the leaf and plant stems containing the soybean tubes of the plants collected as a result of guided surveys and brought to the laboratory to be used as material in molecular analyses. The presence of the phytoplasma agent in the obtained DNA mixture was checked with direct and nested PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) studies performed in two stages using universal primers. Comparison and phylogenetic analyses performed by obtaining the DNA sequences of the nested PCR products revealed that there was a phytoplasma related to "Ligustrum ovalifolium phytoplasma" in the soybeans found in the research areas and showing symptoms. This study is the first study to reveal the presence of phytoplasmas in soybean production areas in Turkey. Detection of the presence of phytoplasmas in soybean cultivation areas is important in terms of both understanding yield losses and taking quarantine measures.