Global Plant Protection News

First report of the tobamovirus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in Turkey
Source: New Disease Reports
Event:  New Location

Since January of 2019, greenhouse-grown Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants in Turkey exhibited rough fruit with chlorotic and necrotic patches and leaf chlorotic mosaic, mottling, and rugosity. Molecular analyses confirmed that the causal agent was the tobamovirus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). This is the first report of ToBRFV in Turkey.

ToBRFV infects S. lycopersicum and Capsicum sp. (pepper) and has also been reported from Germany, Israel, Jordan, and Mexico and has been detected in Italy. In the United States, ToBRFV has been detected in and eradicated from California. Tobamoviruses are transmitted mechanically and by seed. The PEST ID database lists ToBRFV as reportable (queried 6/5/19).

References:

1. Fidan, H., P. Sarikaya, and O. Calis. 2019. First report of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus on tomato in Turkey. New Disease Reports 39:18. Last accessed June 6, 2019, from https://www.ndrs.org.uk/article.php?id=039018.

Other PestLens articles about this pest:
Detection of the tobamovirus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in Italy
First report of the tobamovirus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in Europe
Detection of the tobamovirus Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in Mexico and first report of ToBRFV in Israel
New tobamovirus, tomato brown rugose fruit virus, described from Jordan

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First report of the soft scale Alecanochiton marquesi (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Colombia and Costa Rica with new host records
Source: Caldasia
Event:  New Host, New Location

In 2015, nymphs and adults of the soft scale Alecanochiton marquesi (Hemiptera: Coccidae) were collected from Manilkara zapota (sapodilla), Conostegia xalapensis, Miconia trinervia, and Miconia schlimii plants in Colombia and Costa Rica. This is the first report of A. marquesi in Colombia and Costa Rica and the first report of A. marquesi infesting these hosts.

Alecanochiton marquesi infests other plants, including Coffea arabica (arabica coffee) and Pouteria caimito (abiu). Alecanochiton marquesi has also been reported from Brazil and French Guiana and is not known to occur in the United States. The PEST ID database lists A. marquesi as reportable (queried 6/5/19).

References:

1. Dix-Luna, O. J., J. M. Montes-Rodríguez, A. J. Kulikowski, and T. Kondo. 2018. Alecanochiton marquesi (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), a new record for Colombia and Costa Rica, and description of its first-instar nymph. Caldasia 40(2):246-254. Last accessed June 6, 2019, from https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/cal/article/view/69451.
2. Hodgson, C. J. 1994. The Scale Insect Family Coccidae: An Identification Manual to Genera. Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, Wallingford, UK. 639 pp.

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First reports of the orthotospovirus Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus (GBNV) infecting Phalaenopsis sp. (moth orchid) and Momordica charantia (bitter gourd)
Source: New Disease Reports, Plant Disease
Event:  New Host

In 2016 and 2017, cultivated Phalaenopsis sp. (moth orchid) plants in India exhibited chlorotic leaf spots, mosaic, and dark green patches with chlorotic margins. Additionally, in 2016, cultivated Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) plants in India exhibited thick, leathery, chlorotic leaves with necrotic tips and leaf cupping. Molecular analyses confirmed in each case that the causal agent was the orthotospovirus Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus (GBNV) (synonym: peanut bud necrosis virus). This is the first report of GBNV infecting Phalaenopsis sp. and the first report of natural infection of M. charantia. Phalaenopsis spp. are popular ornamental orchids.

GBNV causes severe yield loss in economically important plants, including Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), S. tuberosum (potato), Allium cepa (onion), Cucumis sativus (cucumber), and Daucus carota (carrot). GBNV has been reported from Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. It is not known to occur in the United States. Thrips palmi (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which has a restricted distribution in the United States, is a known vector of GBNV. The PEST ID database does not list GBNV (queried 6/5/19).

References:

1. Pant, R. P., Y. B. Basavaraj, N. Srivastava, A. Bhattarai, A. Kumar, V. K. Baranwal, et al. 2019. First report of Groundnut bud necrosis virus infecting Phalaenopsis in India. New Disease Reports 39:17. Last accessed June 6, 2019, from https://www.ndrs.org.uk/pdfs/039/NDR_039017.pdf.
2. Nagendran, K., S. Kumari, A. B. Rai, C. Manimurugan, B. Singh, G. Karthikeyan, et al. 2018. First report of Peanut bud necrosis virus infecting bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) in India. Plant Disease 102(3):690. Last accessed June 6, 2019, from https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PDIS-09-17-1480-PDN.

Other PestLens articles about this pest:
First report of Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) as a natural host of the orthotospovirus Groundnut bud necrosis orthotospovirus (GBNV)
First report of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) infecting Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine)
First report of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) infecting Allium cepa (onion)
First report of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) in Bangladesh
New host records for groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV)

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New nanovirus, parsley severe stunt associated virus (PSSaV), described from Germany
Source: Archives of Virology
Event:  New Description/Identification

A recent publication describes a new nanovirus, parsley severe stunt associated virus (PSSaV), isolated from Petroselinum crispum (parsley) plants in Germany. Affected plants exhibited leaf chlorosis and curling and plant stunting, resulting in death.

References:

1. Vetten, H. J., D. Knierim, M. S. Rakoski, W. Menzel, E. Maiss, B. Gronenborn, et al. 2019. Identification of a novel nanovirus in parsley. Archives of Virology DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04280-3. Last accessed June 6, 2019, from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00705-019-04280-3.pdf.

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