Division 2.1.1 F1

Collect 1 to 2 cm stem segments in a closed sterile container according to the following sampling procedures:

Nursery tomato seedlings : With a clean disinfected knife, remove a 1 cm segment from the base of each stem, just above the soil level.

Field or glasshouse grown tomato plants : With a clean disinfected knife, remove the lowermost side shoot from each plant by cutting just above the joint with the main stem. Remove the lowermost 1cm segment from each side shoot.

Other hosts : With a clean disinfected knife or pruning shears, remove a 1 cm segment from the base of each stem, just above the soil level. In the case of S. dulcamara or other host plants growing in water, remove 1-2 cm sections from underwater stems or stolons with aquatic roots.

When sampling a particular location it is recommended to test a statistically representative sample of at least 10 plants per sampling point of each potential weed host. Pathogen detection will be most reliable during late spring, summer and autumn seasons, although natural infections can be detected all year round in the perennial Solanum dulcamara growing in watercourses. Known hosts include volunteer potato plants (groundkeepers), Solanum dulcamara, S. nigrum, Datura stramonium and other members of the family Solanaceae. Further hosts are Pelargonium spp. and Portulaca oleracea . Some European weed spp. which may potentially harbour R. solanacearum biovar 2/Race 3 populations in roots and/or rhizospheres under specific environmental conditions include Atriplex hastata, Bidens pilosa, Cerastium glomeratum, Chenopodium album, Eupatorium cannabinum, Galinsoga parviflora, Ranunculus scleratus, Rorippa spp, Rumex spp., Silene alba, S. nutans., Tussilago farfarra and Urtica dioica .