First report of tomato chlorotic spot virus infecting tomato in New York

Authors: SUI, XUELIAN - Fujian Agriculture And Forest University; MCGRATH, MARGARET - Cornell University; ZHANG, SHOUAN - University Of Florida; WU, ZUJIAN - Fujian Agriculture And Forest University; Ling, Kai-Shu

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2017
Publication Date: 2/1/2018
Citation: Sui, X., Mcgrath, M.T., Zhang, S., Wu, Z., Ling, K. 2018. First report of tomato chlorotic spot virus infecting tomato in New York. Plant Disease. 102(2):460. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-17-0991-PDN.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-17-0991-PDN

Interpretive Summary: Tomato is one of the major vegetable crops in the U.S. with a farm-gate well over $2 billion dollars annually. Four tospoviruses have been identified to infect tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in the U.S. In addition to Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), three other tospoviruses, Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) and Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV), are emerging viruses infecting tomato crops primarily in Florida. TCSV has also been reported to infect tomato in Ohio. It is important to monitor potential occurrence of TCSV in the Eastern U.S. because millions of tomato transplants produced in Florida and other southern states are transported to the Northeast each year as are many other ornamental plants that are potential hosts for the virus. In this study, we identified a tomato plant infected by TCSV in Long Island, New York, which is the first report in the Northeastern region of the U. S. Vegetable and ornamental growers should be concerned about this observation and be vigilant in monitoring their crops for this emerging virus.

Technical Abstract: In 2016, a total of 30 tomato samples and one pepper, with symptoms typically associated with a tospovirus infection were collected in Long Island, New York, from field plantings. Five samples collected on August 13, 2016 were initially screened with a serological test against Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) and Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV). Two samples were positive for TSWV, and another (V16-150) positive for TCSV. The presence of both viruses (TSWV and TCSV) was confirmed using Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific to TSWV and TCSV. For TCSV, the first RT-PCR test using a TCSV-specific primer generated an expected amplicon of 292 bp from sample V16-150. The second RT-PCR test using another TCSV-specific primer flanking the nucleocapsid protein gene produced an expected 986 bp amplicon. This amplicon was cloned and two clones were sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed a high nucleotide sequence identity (99%) to the TCSV isolates from Florida and other regions in the world. This TCSV-positive plant was removed and subsequent collected samples (25 tomato and one pepper from four separate surveys) in the same field and surrounding areas in the 2016 tomato growing season were not positive for TCSV infection. This is the first report of TCSV infecting tomato in New York.