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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #166599
Title: FIRST REPORT OF YELLOW NUTSEDGE (CYPERUS ESCULENTUS) AND PURPLE NUTSEDGE (CYPERUS ROTUNDUS) IN GEORGIA NATURALLY INFECTED WITH IMPATIENS NECROTIC SPOT VIRUS

Author
item MARTINEZ-OCHOA, N - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item MULLIS, S - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item CSINOS, A - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Webster, Theodore

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Martinez-Ochoa, N., Mullis, S. W., Csinos, A. S., Webster, T. M. 2004. First report of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) in Georgia naturally infected with impatiens necrotic spot virus. Plant Disease. 88(7):771.

Interpretive Summary: The insect-mediated spread of plant viruses on crops throughout the southeast US has caused significant economic losses. The most prevalent, Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), will infect peanut, tobacco, and numerous vegetable crops. Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) is an emerging virus found mostly in ornamentals under greenhouse production. INSV has been detected in peanut in Georgia and Texas and in tobacco in the southeast US, but little is known about the distribution of INSV among non-crop plants. Non-crop plants are likely to contribute to disease spread by serving as reservoirs for TSWV and INSV and reproductive hosts for thrips (Frankiniella occidentalis), which transmit the virus. Yellow and purple nutsedge are the two most troublesome weeds in vegetable crops in the southeast US. A survey was conducted to evaluate the presence of TSWV and INSV in nutsedge species. Purple and yellow Nutsedge samples collected in Tifton, GA tested positive for INSV, though plants did not exhibit visible symptoms of the disease. Neither species tested positive for TSWV. The relatively high occurrence of INSV in the sampled fields may explain the recent increase in incidence of INSV in susceptible field crops. Although yellow nutsedge is more common than purple nutsedge in North America, the potential for dispersal of INSV in both species could be significant because of the nature of nutsedge tuber survival and ability to spread.

Technical Abstract: Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) is an emerging virus found mostly in ornamentals under greenhouse production. INSV has been detected in peanut in Georgia and Texas and in tobacco in the southeast US, but little is known about the distribution of INSV among non-crop plants. Non-crop plants are likely to contribute to disease spread by serving as reservoirs for the virus and reproductive hosts for thrips (Frankiniella occidentalis), which transmit the virus. Yellow and purple nutsedge are the two most troublesome weeds in vegetable crops in the southeast US. Purple and yellow Nutsedge samples collected in Tifton, GA tested positive for INSV using double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), though plants did not exhibit visible symptoms of the disease. The samples that tested positive for INSV were verified using reverse-transciption polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). None of the samples tested positive for tomato spotted wilt virus. The relatively high occurrence of INSV in the sampled fields may explain the recent increase in incidence of INSV in susceptible field crops. Although yellow nutsedge is more common than purple nutsedge in North America, the potential for dispersal of INSV in both species could be significant because of the nature of nutsedge tuber survival and ability to spread.