Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

Oil palm genetic orange spotting (205)

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Photo 1. Spots of genetic orange spotting on leaflets of increasing age, left to right, caused by Oil palm orange spotting viroid.

Photo 2. Genetic orange spotting on oil palm., caused by Oil palm orange spotting viroid.

Summary

  • Widespread distribution. On oil palms, but the viroid is related to Coconut cadang-cadang viroid and Coconut tinangaja viroid of cocounts. Wherever oil palms are grown. Of minor importance; sometimes 1-2% after 3 years.
  • Of interest because Coconut cadang-cadang viroid of coconut causes the spotting disease in oil palm, and the spotting viroid of oil palm causes cadang-cadang in coconuts, a lethal disease.
  • Spots 2-3 mm on all but the youngest leaves, palms stunted and bunches and nuts smaller than normal. Decline occurs over 20 years.
  • Spread in seed, and perhaps when harvesting.
  • Cultural control: remove palms when symptoms first seen.
  • Chemical control: none recommended.

Common Name

Oil palm genetic orange spotting

Scientific Name

Oil palm orange spotting viroid, and its abbreviation is OOSVd. A viroid is a length of RNA, much smaller than the RNA of the smallest virus, and without a protein coat. OOSVd is closely related to a viroid in the Philippines, Coconut cadang-cadang viroid (CCCVd), which causes a lethal disease in coconuts and other palms.

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information (and Photos 1&2) Hanold D, Randles J (Eds.) Report on ACIAR-funded research on viroids and viruses of coconut palm and other tropical monocotyledons 1985-1993. ACIAR Working Paper No. 51 August 1998. Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, South Australia. (https://www.aciar.gov.au/sites/default/files/legacy/node/2259/report_on_aciar_funded_research_on_viroids_and_vir_88070.pdf).

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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