Archivio Journal of Plant Pathology

Abstract:

Field surveys were carried out in the main peach-growing areas of China to assess the virus or viroid disease status of peach trees. A total of 505 leaf samples were tested by ELISA or RT-PCR for the presence of nine major peach viruses. The viruses most frequently detected were Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) (71.8%), followed by Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) (20.2%), Cherry green ring mottle virus (CGRMV) (8.1%), and Apricot pseudo-chlorotic leaf spot virus (APCLSV) (1.6%). The overall average of virus infection level in peach trees was 24.6%. Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), Plum pox virus (PPV), Prune dwarf virus (PDV), Cherry virus A (CVA) and Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) were not detected. Of another 583 leaf samples tested for the presence of the known major peach viroids, by dot-blot hybridization, 444 (76.2%) were infected. Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) were detected in 443 and 18 samples, respectively. This is the first large-scale study on major viruses and viroids that infect peach trees in China.