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Title: First report of potato spindle tuber viroid naturally infecting field tomatoes in the Dominican Republic

Author
item LING, KAI-SHU
item Li, Rugang
item GROTH-HELMS, DEBI - Agdia
item ASSIS-FILHO, FRANCISCO - Agdia

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/18/2013
Publication Date: 4/17/2014
Citation: Ling, K., Li, R., Groth-Helms, D., Assis-Filho, F.M. 2014. First report of potato spindle tuber viroid naturally infecting field tomatoes in the Dominican Republic. Plant Disease. 98(5):701.

Interpretive Summary: In the spring of 2013, a severe virus-like disease outbreak was observed for the first time in a major field tomato facility located in the Dominican Republic, an island nation in the Caribbean region. In three samples from a collection conducted in May of 2013, Potato spindle tuber viroid was identified. This outbreak in the Dominican Republic represented further geographic expansion of the viroid disease in tomatoes beyond North America. This information is critical in raising awareness about the presence of these serious viroids in the Caribbean and the need to monitor further possible spread.

Technical Abstract: In recent years, viroid disease outbreaks have resulted in serious economic losses to a number of greenhouse tomato growers in North America. In the spring of 2013, a severe virus-like disease outbreak was observed for the first time in a major field tomato facility located in the Dominican Republic. General tomato crop health screen tests against 16 tomato viruses and several other pathogens were negative. Three samples collectioned in May of 2013 was tested positive in RT-PCR using the Agdia proprietary primers for pospiviroids. The full genomic sequences were obtained and sequence analysis revealed a high sequence identity to other Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) isolates. The identification of a PSTVd disease outbreak on tomatoes in the Caribbean region demonstrated a greater geographical expansion of the emerging viroid disease.