Munkvold GP
Tanzania
Research Article
Frequencies of Seed Infection and Transmission to Seedlings by Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid (A Pospiviroid) in Tomato
Author(s): Simmons HE, Ruchti TB and Munkvold GP
Simmons HE, Ruchti TB and Munkvold GP
Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) is an emerging pathogen that primarily affects members of the Solanaceae. The distribution of this pathogen is expanding rapidly with several countries reporting new infections in recent years. This pathogen is of phytosanitary concern because infected seed is thought to be one of the factors contributing to the spread of this disease. Thus we developed a qRT-PCR method to determine the seed infection frequency of PSTVd in tomato, as well as a RT-PCR method to determine the frequency of transmission of this pathogen to tomato seedlings. Infection frequency of PSTVd in tomato seeds from infected plants (cv. ‘Beefsteak’) ranged from 62.3-69% and frequency of PSTVd transmission to tomato seedlings was 50.9%. Germination of the infected seed was significantly lower (53%) than the parent seed (98%), and we also determined that viroid titers i.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2157-7471.1000275