Citrus tristeza virus (CTV; species Closterovirus tristezae ) is ubiquitous in Australia, occurring in all production areas. Stem-pitting disease in white grapefruit varieties caused by CTV is managed by mild strain cross-protection. However, the protective isolate of CTV used for cross-protection, labelled PB61, is not fully characterised at the molecular level, even though most grapefruit budwood is inoculated with this viru...

Xylella fastidiosa is a devastating plant pathogenic bacteria known for its broad host range, in contrast to the related species Xylella taiwanensis , which is only known to cause disease in Asian pears. Despite the potential threats they pose to Australian agriculture, diagnostic assays capable of detecting both Xylella species are scarce. Bridging this critical gap, this study presents the development of the X- ComEC qPCR as...