Outbreaks of Pepper Mild Mottle Virus in Greenhouses in Sanlıurfa Turkey


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Güldür M. E., Çağlar B. K.

Journal Of Plant Pathology, vol.88, no.3, pp.339, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Publication Type: Article / Abstract
  • Volume: 88 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2006
  • Journal Name: Journal Of Plant Pathology
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.339
  • Çukurova University Affiliated: No

Abstract

The tobamovirus Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was first identified in Turkey in 1994 in fields of commer-cial pepper (Capsicum annuum) (Guldur, et al., 1994; Pal-loix et al., 1994). There was no evidence of its presence in the southeastern Anatolian province of the country until, in February 2006, very severe symptoms were observed in greenhouse-grown peppers of cv Charlee in the vicinity of Sanliurfa. Plants were stunted, had mottled, puckered, and malformed leaves and bore fruits that were small, deformed and marked by off-colored sunken areas. Disease incidence ranged from 60 to 95 % and resulted in a 75 to 95% yield loss. Fruit and leaf tissues from several plants were tested by ELISA using commercial kits for PMMoV, Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Loewe Phytodiagnostica Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany), and Tobacco etch virus (TEV) (Agdia Incorparated, USA). Of 42 symptomatic samples from five greenhouses, all gave a posi-tive result for PMMoV but no reaction for the other viruses tested. Seed samples from twelve pepper plants (25 seeds from each infected plant) also gave consistently positive ELISA result for PMMoV. Seeds from symptomatic ELISA-positive plants were individually planted in pots containing an autoclaved commercial soil-less mix:horticul-tural sand (1:1) in a  greenhouse at 25°C. Of 120 seedlings tested for PMMoV 34 were positive, confirming transmis-sion through seed. Mechanical inoculation of several healthy seedlings of cv Charlee peppers with sap extracted from symptomatic leaves and fruit resulted in 100% infec-tions as determined by symptom observation and ELISA tests. This record, the first of PMMoV in southeastern Ana-tolia, appears to be particularly threatening because of the environment (greenhouses) in which the outbreak devel-oped and the high rates of  seed  transmission of PMMoV.