Communicated by Edîte Kaufmane To evaluate the occurrence of nine viruses infecting

A large-scale survey was carried out to assess the occurrence, natural host range and genetic diversity of Blackcurrant reversion virus (BRV) in cultivated and wild Ribes in Latvia using RT-PCR and sequence analyses of 3 0 NTR of BRV RNA2. The virus was detected in all surveyed habitats in most of the studied Ribes, except gooseberries, Ribes sanguineum, Ribes laxiflorum and crossbreeds between blackcurrants and gooseberries. The overall occurrence of BRV was 27%, although it varied significantly among the surveyed Ribes habitats, exceeding 40% in home gardens and germplasm collections. Among cultivated Ribes, blackcurrants were the most infected and BRV was detected in all commonly grown cultivars. The virus was detected for the first time in Ribes aureum, Ribes fragrans, Ribes nigrum var. pauciflorum and Ribes fasciculatum var. chinense. The sequence identities of the studied fragments of RNA2 3 0 NTR varied from 92.8% to 99.7% among 26 BRV isolates from various cultivated, ornamental and wild hosts from Latvia and from 91.1% to 97.1% when they were compared with 27 corresponding sequences from GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the major clustering of isolates was not related to host, origin or symptoms. Grouping of BRV isolates based on host or location was identified within the phylogenetic subclusters. Several well-supported clades were formed within the subclusters, including a group of BRV isolates from redcurrants that had unique nucleotide substitutions. Five putative recombinants were identified for the first time among BRV isolates from Latvia, Finland, Scotland and the Czech Republic.

Apples and pears are among the most important commercial fruit species grown in Latvia. Because of suitability to local climatic conditions, mainly domestic cultivars and cultivars originating in neighbouring countries are grown. The planting material of pome fruits produced and used for establishment of new orchards in Latvia corresponds to the Conformitas Agraria Communitatis standard due to the unavailability of nuclear stock. To establish virus-tested, experimental nuclear stock for apple and pear, one to two years old candidate plants were exposed to thermotherapy at +38 °C for 40 to 70 days. The mother trees and candidate plants before treatment were tested for the presence of the four most widespread pome fruit viruses by RT-PCR. The shoot tips of the heat-treated plants were grafted onto seedling rootstocks and were re-tested for the four viruses by RT-PCR during the next three to five vegetation seasons. Several plants of apple cultivars ‘Dace’, ‘Zarja Alatau’, ‘Rubin’, and ‘Ausma’ remained infected either with Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus, Apple stem growing virus or Apple stem pitting virus after the thermotherapy. Tests on woody indicators were carried out to determine possible presence of graft-transmittable organisms according to EPPO guidelines for the establishment of nuclear stock material for pome fruits.