Survey of Blight-Affected Citrus Groves for Xylem-Limited Bacteria Carried by Sharpshooters. L. W. Timmer, Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Citrus Research and Education Center, 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred 33850. R. F. Lee, Associate Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Citrus Research and Education Center, 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred 33850. Plant Dis. 69:497-498. Accepted for publication 31 December 1985. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-69-497.

Xylem-limited bacteria (XLB) carried by sharpshooters have been suggested as a possible cause of citrus blight. For 3 yr, collections of sharpshooters (Oncometopia nigricans and Homalodisca coagulata) from blight-affected citrus groves in nine locations in Florida were caged on indicator plants susceptible to XLB. In no instance were XLB infections detected in grape (Vitis vinifera), periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), peach (Prunus persica), plum (P. cerasifera), or rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri). The XLB associated with ragweed stunt was detected in ragweed plants exposed to sharpshooters from four of nine groves in 1981, two of nine groves in 1982, and two of eight groves in 1983.