A Survey for Viruses and Viroids of Peach in Tennessee Orchards by RNA Sequencing

The prevalent viruses and viroids in a population of 100 peach trees grown in Tennessee (TN) orchards were investigated by RNA sequencing and analysis of a pool of ribosomal-depleted total RNA derived from these plants. The sequences of nine viruses (cherry green ring mottle virus; cherry necrotic rusty mottle virus; grapevine-associated ilarvirus, GaIV; nectarine virus M, NeVM; Prunus necrotic ringspot virus, PNRSV; tomato mosaic virus, ToMV; tomato ringspot virus, ToRSV; turnip vein-clearing virus, TVCV; and white clover mosaic virus, WCIMV) and one viroid (peach latent mosaic viroid, PLMVd) were detected. The presence of ToMV, PNRSV, NeVM, ToRSV and PLMVd sequences were confirmed in the original samples by RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. This study represents the first survey of viruses and viroids of peach trees in TN orchards. To the best of our knowledge, ToMV, NeVM, GaIV, TVCV, and WCIMV have not been reported previously associated with peach trees elsewhere in the world.