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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279601

Title: Raspberry Crumbly Fruit

Author
item Martin, Robert
item QUITO-AVILA, D - Centro De Investigacion

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2012
Publication Date: 6/2/2012
Citation: Martin, R.R., Quito-Avila, D.F. 2012. Raspberry Crumbly Fruit. Proceedings of the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association, January 26-28, 2012, Abbotsford, Canada.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Raspberry crumbly fruit, widespread in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and British Columbia, Canada, can be caused by virus infection. Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) has long been attributed as the causal agent of the disease. Recently, the identification of two new viruses, Raspberry leaf mottle virus (RLMV) and Raspberry latent virus (RpLV), in northern Washington and British Columbia suggested the existence of a new virus complex responsible for the increased severity of the disease. In efforts to determine the role of the new viruses in crumbly fruit, ‘Meeker’ plants containing single and mixed infections of RBDV, RLMV, or RpLV were developed and used to establish field trials at the Northern Washington Research and Extension Center, in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Field evaluations during the establishment and first fruiting year revealed that plants infected with the three viruses or the combinations RBDV-RLMV, or RBDV-RpLV had the greatest reduction in cane growth and fruit firmness, respectively, Quantitative RT-PCR tests showed that the titer of RBDV was increased ~400-fold when it occurred in mixed infections with RLMV compared to RBDV in single infections. In addition, a survey of RpLV and RLMV in Washington and Oregon revealed that the two viruses are present at high incidence in northern Washington; whereas the incidence in southern Washington and Oregon, where crumbly fruit is not a serious problem, was considerably lower. Virus testing of crumbly-fruited plants from five different fields in northern Washington showed that fields infected with RLMV and RpLV, (at incidence up to 100% and 40%, respectively) along with RBDV (100% incidence) showed more severe crumbly fruit symptoms compared to fields with low incidence of RLMV and RpLV. Taken together, these findings suggest that growth reduction and severe crumbly fruit disease in ‘Meeker’ are caused by a combination between RBDV and RLMV or RpLV.