Phytoplasmas were first observed in plant phloem four decades ago. Novel molecular methods now allow not only the detection of new phytoplasma infections but also the systematic differentiation of these pathogenic agents far beyond the initial serological distinctions. In addition to these impressive taxonomical developments, other areas, such as elucidating many insect vectors and characterizing the specifics of phytoplasma-vector relationships, have considerably advanced. Yet despite all these improvements, from the grower's perspective, it is principally a matter of luck whether a crop will suffer losses from phytoplasma infections, or not. For most crops in most countries or geographical regions, the damage inflicted by phytoplasma infection, originating from vectors that acquired these pathogens from native wild plants, could range anywhere from negligible to total economic loss from one year to another.
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