Australasian Plant Pathology (2005) 34, 327-331
P.A. Revill, G.V.H. Jackson, G.J. Hafner, I. Yang, M.K. Maino, M.L. Dowling, L.C. Devitt, J.L. Dale and R.M. Harding (2005)
Incidence and distribution of viruses of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Pacific Island countries
Australasian Plant Pathology 34 (3), 327-331
Abstract: Four viruses have been reported from taro; Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV), Taro bacilliform virus (TaBV) and two putative rhabdoviruses, Colocasia bobone disease virus (CBDV) and Taro vein chlorosis virus (TaVCV). A fifth virus, tentatively named Taro reovirus (TaRV), has also been recently identified. The distribution of these viruses throughout the Pacific Islands, and the symptoms associated with their infection, are unknown in many cases due to a lack of sensitive diagnostic tests. We have used recently developed PCR-based diagnostic tests to survey taro growing in 11 Pacific Island countries for the presence of known viruses. DsMV and TaBV were widespread, whereas TaVCV and TaRV were more restricted in their distribution. CBDV was restricted to PNG and Solomon Islands and was always associated with the two most serious viral diseases of taro; alomae disease and bobone disease, but the causal agent of these two diseases remains unclear.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Robert M. Harding, Grahame Jackson
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
