Incidence of Citrus tristeza virus in Zaria and Giwa Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Citrus tristeza disease is among the most devastating diseases of citrus worldwide. To ascertain the occurrence of the causal agent, Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in Zaria and Giwa Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, samples were collected from four citrus orchards in September during the 2022 wet season. A total of sixty samples (n=60) were collected randomly comprising of both symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves, fifteen (n=15) from each field. The commonest symptoms observed included, yellowing of leaves, cupping, and leave vein clearing. Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) was employed in the detection of the virus from the leaves collected. The result shows the presence of the virus in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) with an incidence of 6.67% each. This study is the first to report the presence of CTV in Zaria and Giwa LGAs of Kaduna State. Thus, indicating the spread of the viral disease in the country-despite its low incidence- after it was first reported from the Southern part of Nigeria. This calls for an intensive survey to delineate the extent of the viral incidence in the country and embark on enlightenment campaigns for citrus farmers.