Pospiviroid infections in Capsicum annuum: disease symptoms and lack of seed transmission

Abstract

Four pospiviroids, columnea latent viroid (CLVd), pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd), potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), were mechanically inoculated on Capsicum annuum (pepper) cv. Yolo Wonder. Symptoms were different, though most pronounced for PCFVd, i.e. delay in flower and fruit onset, increase of plant height, and reduction of fruit size. For studying seed transmission, seeds with high loads of infectious viroid were sown at different time intervals after harvesting, i.e. 0, 2 and 77 days. No transmission from seed to seedlings was recorded in a total of 765 seedlings, irrespective viroid species and time interval. For PCFVd, the experiment was repeated in another pepper cultivar with the similar outcome for 179 seedlings. The results of this study are discussed in view of the role of infested seed lots in causing outbreaks in practice.