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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #238363
Title: Virus Survey in Strawberry Production Fields in the United States and Canada

Author
item Martin, Robert
item TZANETAKIS, I - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: International Conference on Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2009
Publication Date: 2/15/2010
Citation: Martin, R.R., Tzanetakis, I.E. 2010. Virus survey in strawberry production fields in the United States and Canada. International Conference on Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In an effort to determine the incidence of viruses in strawberry production fields in the United States and Canada, approximately 1500 samples were collected and either brought back or shipped to the USDA-ARS laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon between 2002 and 2007. RNA was extracted from leaf tissue and archived at -80C for subsequent uses. During the same time, RT-PCR tests were developed for most known strawberry viruses. For this study, a subset of 275 samples, representing the major strawberry production areas in the United States and Canada were tested for: Beet pseudo yellows (BPYV), Fragaria chiloensis latent (FClLV), Strawberry crinkle (SCV), Strawberry latent ringspot (SLRSV), Strawberry mottle (SMoV), Strawberry mild yellow edge (SMYEV), Strawberry necrotic shock (SNSV), Strawberry pallidosis (SPaV) and Strawberry vein banding (SVBV) viruses, as well as a housekeeping gene as an internal control by RT-PCR. The Pacific Northwest had the highest rates of infection with the aphid-borne viruses but was virtually free of the whitefly transmitted viruses. In contrast, California, southeastern United States, northeastern United States, midwestern United States and Ontario had aphid- and whitefly-transmitted viruses in about equal numbers. The midwestern United States had the lowest incidence of virus infection. BPYV was only found in samples from California and southeastern United States, but has been detected from Maryland in previous studies. In the Pacific Northwest, fields with aphid control had very low incidence of virus infection compared to nearby fields without aphid control. Also, the disease pressure was much lower in Oregon than in northern Washington and British Columbia. As a result of this information, management strategies can be designed for the major viruses and vectors that occur in a given area. As an example, management efforts in the Pacific Northwest should be targeted toward control of aphids, whereas in other areas, whiteflies are important vectors of a number of viruses.