Potato spindle tuber viroid no longer occurs in Argentina
In Argentina, the presence of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd, EPPO A2 List) had been reported in the literature in the 1960s. According to Fernandez Valiela (1969), PSTVd was probably first recorded in 1934 on stored potatoes (based on a publication from Marchionatto ; Millán which can no longer be accessed), but no symptoms could be observed in commercial crops. PSTVd was later detected on an imported consignment of potatoes which was subsequently destroyed (Fernandez Valiela ; Carderoni, 1965). In these publications from the 1960s no diagnostics methods were described, therefore these records are now considered unreliable. In 1993, an outbreak of PSTVd was detected in a potato breeding glasshouse which belonged to the Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agriculture Technology (EEA-INTA Balcarce, province of Buenos Aires). All potato material from this experimental station was placed under the responsibility of the Argentinian NPPO and eradication measures were taken. In 1994, a survey was initiated on plant material belonging to the breeding programme and to the germplasm bank of the EEA-INTA Balcarce station. From 1994 to 1999, intensive surveys were conducted in potato-growing areas across Argentina, including testing of in vitro plants, mother plants and potato breeding material of the EEA-INTA Balcarce station. As a result of these surveys, PSTVd was only detected in breeding material maintained at the EEA-INTA Balcarce station. All material was destroyed and the disease was eradicated. PSTVd was not detected on potato commercial crops during these surveys. Based on these results, COSAVE recognized in 2002 that the pest status of PSTVd in Argentina was: Absent, quarantine pest for the Argentine Republic. In May 2003, Argentina officially declared the eradication of PSTVd and its whole territory was considered as an area free from PSTVd. Since its eradication, the viroid has not been reported by the National Surveillance System (SINAVIMO) which is being implemented in Argentina.
Sources
NPPO of Argentina, 2009-02.
Fernadez Valiela MV (1969) Introducción a la Fitopatología. Vol 1 Virus. 3º edición. INTA, 796-802.
Fernandez Valiela MV, Carderoni AV, (1965) Búsqueda de zonas semilleras de Papa en la República Argentina. Estn exp. agropec., Delta del Paraná, Argentina. Atas Inst. Micol., 1965, Vol. 2, 60-76.