Citrus tatter leaf virus (CTLV), a strain of apple stem grooving virus, is a virus of citrus that is of commercial importance for trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) and trifoliate hybrid rootstocks. Bud-union crease is a CTLV-induced incompatibly symptom observed with these rootstocks and citrus scions which results in stunted tree growth. CTLV is a regulated pathogen for most citrus budwood certification programs worldwide. Due to the requisite virus testing, commercially supplied scion budwood would therefore seldom be a point of contamination. However, citrus rootstocks are primarily propagated by seed and the potential for seed transmission of CTLV in citrus is unclear and remains a potential source of infection. A single, unconfirmed report of seed transmission of CTLV in ‘Eureka’ lemon (Citrus × limon) exists, and although this report was not of a rootstock cultivar, it does point to the risk of seed transmission in citrus and close relatives in the family Rutaceae. CTLV-positive ‘Meyer’ lemon (C. × limon) trees in an experimental plot in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa presented an opportunity to again test seed transmission in citrus. Seed was obtained from the infected ‘Meyer’ lemon trees, and 1164 seedlings were grown in an insect-secure greenhouse and screened for CTLV in pooled batches by conventional and real-time RT-PCR. No positive samples were detected and results indicated a lack of virus seed transmission in ‘Meyer’ lemon. Findings of this study are therefore not supportive of CTLV seed transmission in citrus.

柑桔碎叶病毒（CTLV）是苹果干切槽病毒的一种毒株，是一种柑桔病毒，对三叶橙（Poncirus trifoliata）和三叶杂种砧木具有重要的商业意义。芽工会折痕是CTLV诱导的这些根茎和柑橘接穗的不相容症状，导致树木生长受阻。CTLV是全球大多数柑橘芽木认证计划的受管制病原体。由于必须进行病毒测试，因此市售的接穗芽木很少会成为污染点。但是，柑橘类砧木主要通过种子繁殖，CTLV在柑橘中的种子传播潜力尚不清楚，仍然是潜在的感染源。一份未经证实的关于'Eureka'柠檬中CTLV种子传播的报告（存在柑橘 × 柠檬），尽管该报告不是关于砧木栽培种的，但它确实指出了在芸香科的柑橘及其近亲中传播种子的风险。CTLV阳性的'Meyer'柠檬（C.  × 柠檬））在南非东开普省的一个实验区中的树木为再次测试柑橘中的种子传播提供了机会。从受感染的“迈耶”柠檬树中获取种子，并在防虫温室中种植1164株幼苗，并通过常规和实时RT-PCR在合并批次中筛选CTLV。没有检测到阳性样品，结果表明“ Meyer”柠檬中没有病毒种子传播。因此，这项研究的结果不支持柑橘中CTLV种子的传播。