Behaviour of Apricot Cultivars Against Hop Stunt Viroid

摘要

The apricot species is susceptible to infection by different viruses and viroids including the Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), widely distributed around the world and described as the causal agent associated with fruit degeneration disease in apricot. However, to date, there are no ad hoc' studies about the resistance or susceptibility of apricot cultivars to this viroid. In this study, we tested the resistance/susceptibility to HSVd of 26 Mediterranean and North American apricot cultivars in controlled greenhouse conditions. All apricot cultivars assayed were infected by HSVd, showing a different range of susceptibility. As no sources of resistance among the apricot cultivars evaluated have been detected yet, it is necessary to continue the search for such sources to be included in apricot breeding programmes. In addition, the high level of susceptibility found highlights the importance of identifying this viroid in routine tests performed by nurseries and plant protection services.