Viroid Prevalence in Tunisian Citrus

Plant Disease
A Najar, N Duran-Vila

Abstract

The citrus industry in Tunisia is based mainly on the production of local cultivars of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), common mandarin (C. reticulata), clementine (C. clementina), and lemon (C. limon). Sour orange (C. aurantium) is the only rootstock presently being used in the major growing area located at Cap Bon where 80% of citrus is being produced. The presence of tristeza disease in the Mediterranean basin is a threat to the Tunisian citrus industry, and new rootstocks giving tristeza tolerant rootstock/scion combinations are urgently needed as an alternative to sour orange. Since some promising rootstocks are known to be sensitive to viroids (1), a survey was conducted to determine if the cultivars grown presently in Tunisia were infected with viroids. Following a preliminary report (2), an extensive survey was conducted from 1995-2001 that included 174 symptomless sources being grown at Cap Bon: 26 Maltaise demi-sanguine, 9 Maltaise sanguine, 20 Maltaise blonde, 4 orange doublefine, 16 Washington navel, 12 Valencia late, 29 common mandarin, 42 Cassar clementine, 5 Lunari lemon, and 11 Eureka lemon. These sources were graft-inoculated into Etrog citron that subsequently developed symptoms characteristic of viroid infecti...Continue Reading

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