Plum pox virus variability detected by the advanced analytical methods

Plum pox virus (PPV) infects stone-fruit trees with important economical impact mainly in Europe and Mediterranean region. The data about PPV intra-species variability accumulated markedly in the last two decades. Six PPV strains have been recognized using different approaches including serology, protein analysis, specific amplification, and genome sequencing. Reliable and sensitive diagnostics is the most important requirement for application of early control and safety measures. Therefore, many techniques and their modifications have been adapted to detect PPV and its different forms. Here, we review the improvement of the PPV detection and variability analysis in the context of progress in laboratory methods since the virus discovery till today.