Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is an important horticultural crop grown in temperate regions, principally in Italy, Chile and New Zealand. The genus includes more than 50 species but principally A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are cultivated. In Italy and in other EU countries, kiwifruit has been considered as a relatively disease-free ornamental crop and consequently neither passport regulation nor certification system for this species are been developed: no additional declaration for imported material must to be provided and any specific rules for plant propagation into the EU need to be observed. A new strain of Apple stem grooving virus has been identified during post entry quarantine in New Zealand in A. chinensis from China. More recent work has demonstrated that Actinidia spp. can be infected by a range of viruses belonging to the genera Tobamovirus, Potexvirus, Vitivirus and also by Alfalfa mosaic virus, Cucumber mosaic virus and Citrus leaf blotch-like virus. During spring 2010 kiwifruit plants showing a range of symptoms, including vein clearing, interveinal mottling, mosaics and chlorotic ring spots, were collected from both nurseries and orchards in Italy. Transmission electron microscopy of sap or partially purified extracts from kiwifruit plants detected both rod-shaped and flexuous virus particles. Viruses were tentatively transmitted by mechanical inoculation to several herbaceous indicator plants, including Nicotiana benthamiana, N. glutinosa, N. occidentalis and Chenopodium quinoa. Molecular characterization is currently in progress to identify the viruses.
Virus infecting kiwifruit in Italy
RATTI, CLAUDIO;POGGI POLLINI, CARLO;PISI, ANNAMARIA;FILIPPINI, GIANFRANCO;RUBIES AUTONELL, CONCEPCION
2010
Abstract
Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is an important horticultural crop grown in temperate regions, principally in Italy, Chile and New Zealand. The genus includes more than 50 species but principally A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are cultivated. In Italy and in other EU countries, kiwifruit has been considered as a relatively disease-free ornamental crop and consequently neither passport regulation nor certification system for this species are been developed: no additional declaration for imported material must to be provided and any specific rules for plant propagation into the EU need to be observed. A new strain of Apple stem grooving virus has been identified during post entry quarantine in New Zealand in A. chinensis from China. More recent work has demonstrated that Actinidia spp. can be infected by a range of viruses belonging to the genera Tobamovirus, Potexvirus, Vitivirus and also by Alfalfa mosaic virus, Cucumber mosaic virus and Citrus leaf blotch-like virus. During spring 2010 kiwifruit plants showing a range of symptoms, including vein clearing, interveinal mottling, mosaics and chlorotic ring spots, were collected from both nurseries and orchards in Italy. Transmission electron microscopy of sap or partially purified extracts from kiwifruit plants detected both rod-shaped and flexuous virus particles. Viruses were tentatively transmitted by mechanical inoculation to several herbaceous indicator plants, including Nicotiana benthamiana, N. glutinosa, N. occidentalis and Chenopodium quinoa. Molecular characterization is currently in progress to identify the viruses.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
