Author
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Martin, Robert |
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TZANETAKIS, I - University Of Arkansas |
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Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2013 Publication Date: 10/4/2013 Citation: Martin, R.R., Tzanetakis, I.E. 2013. High risk strawberry viruses by region in the United States and Canada: Implications for certification, nurseries and fruit production. Plant Disease. 97:1358-1362. Interpretive Summary: Control of virus diseases requires information on which virus(es) cause the disease, how prevalent the disease is in a region, and the presence of virus vectors. In strawberry, infection with individual viruses rarely causes a disease as most strawberry cultivars grown today are tolerant of infections with a single virus. However, when strawberry plants are infected with multiple viruses, severe symptoms can be observed that range from stunting, yellowing, reddening, reduced fruit yield and fruit quality to plant death. During surveys of diseased plants, as many as seven viruses were observed in severely declining plants. A long term survey of viruses in strawberry viruses in the United States and Canada revealed that there are regions where virus incidence is very low and plants can remain productive for seven or more years. However, in areas with high disease pressure (high numbers of vectors and virus presence) fields are often only productive for 1-3 years. As a result of this long term survey, regions with high and low disease pressure have been identified. This information provides growers with a risk assessment and management requirements for growing strawberry by region in the United States and Canada. The information also can be used by State Departments of Agriculture in developing certification programs that will result in more effective for production of healthy plants by nurseries that are sold to fruit growers. The greatest virus pressure was present in Washington and British Columbia, due to the high numbers of aphids throughout the growing season and the perennial nature of strawberry production in the region. The lowest risk for virus diseases was in the Midwest, where vector populations are low and production fields are isolated from each other. Technical Abstract: There is limited information about the distribution of strawberry viruses in North America and around the world. Since the turn of the century, there has been a concerted effort to develop sensitive tests for many of the previously uncharacterized graft-transmissible agents infecting strawberry. These tests were employed to determine the presence of strawberry viruses in major strawberry production and nursery areas of North America. The viruses evaluated in this study were: Apple mosaic, Beet pseudo-yellows, Fragaria chiloensis latent, Strawberry chlorotic fleck, Strawberry crinkle, Strawberry latent ring spot, Strawberry mild yellow edge, Strawberry mottle, Strawberry necrotic shock, Strawberry pallidosis, Strawberry vein banding, and Tobacco streak viruses. The aphid-borne viruses were predominant in the Pacific Northwest whereas the whitefly-borne viruses were prevalent in California, the Midwest and Northeast. The incidence of pollen-borne viruses was low in most areas with Strawberry necrotic shock being the most prevalent virus of this group. These results indicate that there are hotspots for individual virus groups that normally coincide with the presence of the vectors. The information presented highlights the high risk viruses for nursery production, where efforts are made to control all viruses, and fruit production, where efforts are made to control virus diseases. |
