First report of cherry leaf roll virus in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) plants.

Pomegranate is an important fruit crop, especially in the middle East, with an increasing production for fresh consumption, juice production, pharmacological and therapeutic purposes. Various insect pests, bacterial and fungal diseases are well known and have the potential to cause economic losses; however infection by virus and phytoplasmas have not been cleary investigated, so far, in this species. During summer 2013 and spring 2014, plants of pomegranate of several cvs. exhibiting virus-like symptoms were observed in public gardens in Bologna and Ferrara towns and in two orchards, established in 2012, in the Ravenna province (Emilia-Romagna). Symptoms including chlorotic rings, yellowing and several malformations (curling, dwarfing, shoestring) were observed on the leaves of almost 5% of the plants. Serological and molecular analysis were performed on leaf extracts from 50 symptomatic and 20 symptomless pomegranate trees in order to detect the presence of phytoplasmas and viruses as: alfa alfa mosaic virus (AMV), arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), prune dwarf virus (PDV), prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRV). A significant presence of CLRV was detected in ornamental plants (almost 10% of analysed samples), of which only two expressing leaf deformation symptoms. The virus is present in Italy especially on edelberry, olive and walnut but, to our knowledge, this is the first report of CLRV in pomegranate. Further studies are required to better investigate the viral etiology of virus-like symptoms observed in this species.