Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #209684
Title: Squash vein yellowing virus and its effects on watermelon

Author
item Adkins, Scott
item McCollum, Thomas
item Albano, Joseph
item Kousik, Chandrasekar - Shaker
item ROBERTS, PAMELA - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item BAKER, C. A. - FDACS-DPI
item WEBB, S. E. - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/9/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2007
Citation: Adkins, S.T., Mccollum, T.G., Albano, J.P., Kousik, C.S., Roberts, P., Baker, C., Webb, S. 2007. Squash vein yellowing virus and its effects on watermelon. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV), a novel whitefly-transmitted member of the Potyviridae was recently shown to cause a watermelon vine decline in Florida. Watermelon plants were grown under whitefly-free conditions in a greenhouse and inoculated with buffer (mock), SqVYV, or SqVYV and Papaya ringspot virus type W (PRSV-W) at two week intervals to more fully characterize the systemic wilt and rind necrosis/discoloration induced by SqVYV. Symptoms began to appear at about two weeks post-inoculation for all plants inoculated with SqVYV. Older plants and those co-inoculated with PRSV-W tended to require a few more days for symptom appearance. Infections were confirmed by inclusion body morphology, RT-PCR and/or tissue blot. Nutrient analysis of vines indicated levels sufficient for normal plant growth. Virus infection had significant deleterious effects on whole plant fresh and dry weight, fruit rind and flesh color, and placental dry weight and soluble sugars compared to mock inoculated plants. However, the effects of virus infection were reduced at later inoculations. A similar trend was observed in field experiments. Seeds were collected from mature fruit in both greenhouse and field studies and over 5000 were planted. No seed transmission of SqVYV was detected.