Peach latent mosaic viroid detected on plum in Italy
During a recent survey carried out in plum orchards in Italy, the presence of peach latent mosaic viroid has been detected in two plum cultivars (cvs Black diamond and Angeleno) at different geographical locations in central Italy. Infected plum samples showed bark necrosis and bark split on branches and trunk; shoots and stems of 1 or 2 year old presented short internodes and reduced growth. However, on the basis of biological and serological assays, two viruses were found in association with peach latent mosaic viroid (apple chlorotic leaf spot trichovirus in a sample, and prunus necrotic ringspot ilarvirus in the second one). The symptoms observed in the two plum trees infected by peach latent mosaic viroid were similar to those observed in other plum trees infected only by the two viruses (alone or in association). This suggests that most probably peach latent mosaic viroid does not play a specific role in the symptomatology described above. Nevertheless, the authors stressed that this is the first report of peach latent mosaic viroid on plum in Italy.
Sources
Faggiolini, F.; Loreti, S.; Barba, M. (1997) Occurrence of peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) on plum in Italy.
Plant Disease, 81(4), p 423.