PEACH LATENT MOSAIC VIROID: MAJOR FINDINGS OF OUR STUDIES OVER A PERIOD OF FIFTEEN YEARS IN ITALY

Since its first report in Italy, PLMVd has been considered an economically important pathogen of peach and nectarine. Its symptoms on plants may vary according to the infected strain. Generally, it induces mosaic on leaves, irregularly shaped colourless fruit with cracked sutures and enlarged pits, bud necrosis and general wilting of infected trees. Many efforts have been made in our institute to develop and improve our knowledge of PLMVd diagnosis, diffusion, transmission, economical impact, elimination from infected germplasm and epidemiology.