Viroid transmission and testing technologies

Authors: Hammond, Rosemarie

Submitted to: International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Although viroids are primarily transmitted mechanically through contact with contaminated pruning tools, by human hands, and by contact between plants, they are also spread vegetatively by graft inoculation, cuttings, micro-plants and tuber propagation, and in some cases, by insects. Several viroids, in particular the pospiviroids (type member Potato spindle tuber viroid, PSTVd), are also transmitted through infected pollen and seed at variable rates, and seed transmission has recently been shown to contribute to the international interception of several pospiviroid species. Certification programs, which rely on sensitive diagnostic and detection methods and quarantine enforcement, have resulted in effective control of several diseases caused by viroids, eg. resulting in the eradication of PSTVd from potato in North America. This presentation will attempt to provide a critical examination of the evidence for viroid transmission through seed, its role in epidemiology and spread, and the methods used and limitations of viroid detection technologies and implications for international trade.