HortScience (1999) 34, 292-293

J. Cohen, Noga Sikron, S. Shuval and A. Gera (1999)
Susceptibility of vegetatively propagated petunia to tobamovirus infection and its possible control
HortScience 34 (2), 292-293
Abstract: In this study, 18 Petunia x hybrida Hort. Volm.-Andr. cultivars were mechanically inoculated with the tobamoviruses tobacco mosaic (TMV) or tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) (20 µg·L^-1 in 0.05 M sodium phosphate buffer). One and 2 weeks post-inoculation (PI), inoculated and noninoculated upper leaves were harvested and assayed for TMV infection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Local lesions developed on inoculated leaves of 16 cultivars 3-5 days PI. A total of 11 and 16 of the cultivars developed systemic symptoms characteristic of tobamovirus infection 2 weeks after inoculation with TMV and ToMV, respectively. All cultivars were positive in ELISA tests. Large amounts of virus were recovered from the upper, noninoculated leaves of all cultivars, including symptomless plants. Up to 95% infection by TMV occurred when a sterilized knife was passed through an infected shoot of petunia prior to its being used to remove cuttings from healthy petunia plants. Heat sterilization of knives and/or treatment with 2.8 g·L^-1 sodium troclosene was very effective in controlling TMV transmission.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Abed Gera

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tobacco mosaic virus	Petunia (crop)
	Tomato mosaic virus	Petunia (crop)