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Title: Limited geographic distribution of beet pseudo-yellows virus in Costa Rican cucurbits

Author
item Hammond, Rosemarie
item RAMIREZ, PILAR - UNIV OF COSTA RICA
item HERNANDEZ, E - UNIV OF COSTA RICA
item MORA, F - UNIV OF COSTA RICA
item ABRAITIS, R - VILNIUS LITHUANIA

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2008
Publication Date: 10/1/2008
Citation: Hammond, R., Ramirez, P., Hernandez, E., Mora, F., Abraitis, R. 2008. Limited geographic distribution of beet pseudo-yellows virus Costa Rican cucurbits. Journal of Plant Pathology. 2(90):331-335.

Interpretive Summary: Greenhouse whitefly-transmitted plant viruses are emerging threats to vegetable, ornamental, and fruit production worldwide, including the United States. In early 2004 and 2005, severe yellowing was observed in field-grown cucurbits in Costa Rica and we identified the whitefly-transmitted Beet pseudo-yellows virus (BPYV) in these plants. The current studies, undertaken to determine the prevalence and genetic variability of BPYV isolates in cucurbit-growing regions in Costa Rica, revealed that BPYV in cucurbits is currently restricted to a small, agriculturally rich area in the Central region, and it was also discovered in a weedy cucurbit species collected near production fields. Although the economic impact of BPYV on cucurbit production in Costa Rica has not yet been determined, it poses a new concern for growers and the information presented here will aid plant pathologists and agronomists in providing a greater understanding of the disease.

Technical Abstract: We previously reported the detection of beet pseudo yellows crinivirus (BPYV) in field-grown cucurbits in Costa Rica. The presence of the virus was associated with severe yellowing and chlorosis, and a large population of whiteflies was observed on symptomatic plants. To determine the prevalence and molecular variability of BPYV in Costa Rica, leaf samples were collected in 2004 and 2005 from several symptomatic cucurbit cultivars growing in geographically distinct, cucurbit-growing regions. In addition, several samples of weedy plants growing adjacent to production fields were collected and tested for the presence of BPYV. Total RNA was extracted from the samples, and RT-PCR reactions using primers specific for genes encoding the minor coat protein (CPm) and heat shock protein (HSP) of BPYV RNA2 were performed. Selected isolates were also amplified with primers spanning an insertion region in RNA1. The results show that (1) BPYV in cucurbits is currently limited to an isolated region of the country, (2) genetic variation in the genes examined among the isolates was very low, and (3) BPYV was identified in a wild cucurbit species growing adjacent to production fields containing BPYV-positive cucurbits.