Archivio Journal of Plant Pathology

Abstract:

A procedure was developed for detecting viroids in citrus cuttings collected in the field and forced to sprout in a growth chamber. Leaves collected 15 days or one month after sprouting were tested in comparison with leaf and bark samples from field-grown source plants. Tests were made by using RT-PCR with primers specific for Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), the citrus strain of Hop stunt viroid (HpSVd-cit), Citrus bent leaf viroid (CBLVd), Citrus viroid III (CVd-III), or Citrus viroid IV (CVd-IV). Whereas no evidence was obtained for the presence of CBLVd and CVd-IV were not found whereas HpSVd-cit, CEVd, and CVd-III were detected consistently in forced cuttings even when no positive amplification was obtained from field samples. This method may be a useful in the laboratory detection of citrus viroids.