Author
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Wutscher, Heinz |
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Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Tristeza virus disease has been spreading in the Caribbean area and growers have started to use rootstocks other than sour orange which was widely used, especially in Mexico, because this rootstock is highly susceptible to this virus. Citrus blight, a tree decline whose cause is still uncertain, is also strongly influenced by rootstock. Sour orange is highly citrus blight resistant, so when substitute rootstocks were planted most of them were blight susceptible and blight has now been found on these rootstocks. This is the first report of citrus blight in Mexico; it points out that changing from one rootstock to another has to be done carefully, taking into account more than one disease affecting a particular rootstock. Technical Abstract: Standard citrus blight diagnostic tests performed on orange trees showing visual symptoms in Yucatan, Mexico, showed that these trees had blight. Most of Mexico's citrus is on sour orange rootstock, which is highly resistant to citrus blight. Because this rootstock is highly susceptable to tristeza virus disease, some growers have changed to other tristeza resistant, but citrus blight susceptible rootstocks. These trees now have blight, which has not been reported from Mexico before. |
