Citrus production in Australia is a significant economic activity occurring in disparate regions. The crop is affected by a range of graft-transmissible pathogens including viroids, which are small, circular, non-coding RNA molecules. To ascertain the levels of infection with viroids in Australian citrus orchards, a survey was undertaken using samples collected between 2020 and 2024. To facilitate diagnosis, an RT-qPCR assay w...

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...