Hop latent viroid

Hop latent viroid is a small, non-encapsidated circular RNA pathogen in the genus Cocadviroid within the family Pospiviroidae, a group of pathogens known as viroids that, unlike viruses, consist of RNA alone with no protein coat. It causes what growers call dudding disease, and while it produces only minor quality losses in hop plants, the same infection causes severe stunting in hemp and cannabis, where affected plants show stunted growth, brittle stems and uneven development of the resin producing trichomes. Because the viroid can remain undetected in a plant for some time, it spreads easily through contaminated propagation material, grafting and mechanical transmission on tools and hands, which makes strict biosecurity in propagation and cultivation especially important for growers of hemp and cannabis. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/