Prevalence, epidemiology and molecular studies of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Criniviruses accumulate in the phloem tissue and damage crops by reducing chlorophyll which is essential for plant growth and development. Tomato chlorosis crinivirus (ToCV) is vectored by several whitefly species that damage tomato crops throughout the world. In South Africa, ToCV is a poorly studied pathogen of global economic importance. Therefore, a national survey was initiated to investigate the occurrence and distribution of criniviruses infecting tomato crops in South Africa. Whitefly infested tomato crops exhibiting interveinal leaf chlorosis and chlorotic flecking symptoms were assayed for crinivirus infections using a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase reaction (RT-PCR) approach to assess for the presence of crinivirus species that are known to infect solanaceous hosts.

SUBMITTER: Moodley V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6655748 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature