Potato spindle tuber viroid detected on tomatoes growing near infected Solanum jasminoides in Liguria, Italy
In Italy, Potato spindle tuber viroid (Pospiviroid, PSTVd – EPPO A2 List) was first reported in 2007 (EPPO RS 2008/008) on asymptomatic plants of Solanum jasminoides and S. rantonnetii in Lazio and Puglia. More recently, PSTVd was detected in Liguria on plants of S. jasminoides, indicating that the pathogen was probably more widespread than originally thought. In autumn 2008, surveys were carried out in Liguria region on the possible presence of PSTVd in S. jasminoides plants. During these surveys, tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) growing nearby S. jasminoides and showing typical symptoms of PSTVd were noticed in the Albenga plain (‘Piana di Albenga’, Liguria region). In a family plot adjacent to S. jasminoides plants, approximately 60 tomato plants were showing severe stunting, leaf distortion, chlorotic/necrotic lesions, and discoloured fruits. Molecular tests (RT-PCR, sequencing) confirmed that both asymptomatic S. jasminoides and symptomatic tomatoes were infected by PSTVd. Considering the fact that the infected S. jasminoides and tomatoes were grown in close vicinity, it is suspected that the viroid originally came from S. jasminoides. It is stressed that research on the epidemiology of PSTVd and in particular on the possible role of ornamental Solanaceae as viroid reservoirs should be intensified.
Sources
Silletti MR, Navarro B, Bozzano G, Trisciuzzi VN, Di Serio F (2009) [PSTVd a threat to tomato and potato crops]. L’informatore Agrario no. 11, 89-90 (in Italian).