Phytosanitary evaluation of olive germplasm in Albania

Abstract

A survey on viruses was carried out in 2008 in the main olive-growing areas of Albania (Kruja, Sauk and Vlora). Fifty samples from 14 local and 2 exotic olive cultivars were collected from 10 commercial orchards and one collection field and inspected for Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), Strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRV), Olive latent virus 1 (OLV-1), Olive leaf yellowing-associated virus (OLYaV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Olive latent virus-2 (OLV-2) and Tobacco necrosis virus strain D (TNV-D) by a one-step RT-PCR assay using virus-specifi c primers. None of these viruses were found in the source plants except SLRSV and OLYaV, which were detected in a ‘K. M. Berat’ olive tree grown in the collection field. These findings are important because the incidence of olive virus diseases is low in Albania but high in other Mediterranean countries. Thus, all efforts should be to directed to maintaining the Albanian olive germplasm pathogen-free and in the best agronomical and phytosanitary condition possible.