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POSTERS: Late Breaking I

P-703 - Carbon-Based Soil Amendments Mitigate Citrus Exocortis Viroid Symptoms and Promote Growth in Tomato

Monday, August 4, 2025
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3
Organic soil amendments (e.g., biochar and food waste–based Bokashi Digestates) have the potential to enhance plant growth and modulate host-pathogen dynamics, yet their influence on viroid-induced disease manifestations remains largely understudied. This study evaluated whether biochar (BC) and Bokashi-fermented citrus fruit waste (BOK) mitigate citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) symptoms in tomato, a model host for viroid research. ‘Rutgers’ tomatoes were grown in four potting media treatments: control (equal parts peat moss, perlite, and coconut coir), 12.5% BOK, 10% BC, and 12.5% BOK + 10% BC. Three-week-old seedlings were mechanically inoculated with CEVd via leaf rubbing, simulating natural transmission via mechanical damage. Viroid titers were quantified using RT-qPCR, and disease progression was assessed based on plant height, biomass, and fruit development.
CEVd-infected tomatoes grown in BOK and BOK+BC treatments exhibited significantly greater plant height, fruit size, and biomass compared to control plants, despite similar initial infection rates. RT-qPCR assays revealed a reduction in viroid titer in BOK-treated plants, suggesting a potential indirect enhancement of host resistance. These findings highlight the potential for repurposing agricultural byproducts as sustainable soil amendments to improve plant resilience against viroid-induced diseases. Future research will investigate transcriptomic changes underlying these effects, providing insights into plant-microbiome interactions and soil-mediated disease suppression.