ABSTRACT
Detection of viroid like-organism on olive plants (Olea europaea L.) with sickle leaf symptoms.

Guido Herrera M.1 y Mónica Madariaga V.
 

A series of tests were conducted on samples from North and Central regions of Chile in order to identify the pathological agent causing sickle leaf symptoms. The plants were tested using double strand RNA, ELISA, mechanical transmission to herbaceous hosts and electron microscopy to identify virus organisms, double run gel electrophoresis to identify viroids and PCR to detect phytoplasm like organisms. Virus or phytoplasms could not be identified, and double run electrophoresis results suggested the presence of viroids in samples showing sickle leaf symptoms.

Keywords: Olea europaea, virus, phytoplasm.
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Centro Regional de Investigación La Platina, Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile. E- mail: gherrera@inia.cl.