Phytoplasma diseases etiology, epidemiology and innovative approach for their containment

The phytoplasmas are agents of several incurable diseases affecting hundreds of plant species. They are transmitted by insects belonging to the order of Hemiptera; they achieve the phytoplasma cells during the feeding activities, sucking the sap directly from the phloem cells, the plant tissue where such pathogens reside. They are associated with economically relevant yield losses for annual and perennial crops worldwide, including fruit and woody trees. It so far impossible to eradicate phytoplasma cells from plant tissues and phytoplasma-directed conventional control strategies have been designed, but they have been proved to be ineffective. In this paper a critical review of the already established and innovative control strategies for phytoplasma disease contaiment is carried out