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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353742
Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Blackberry, Red and Black Raspberry, Blueberry, and Strawberry

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: A new, prevalent virus infects blueberry

Author
item VILLAMOR, D - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item KELLER, KAREN
item MARTIN, ROBERT
item TZANETAKIS, I - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2018
Publication Date: 8/13/2018
Citation: Villamor, D.E., Keller, K.E., Martin, R.R., Tzanetakis, I.E. 2018. A new, prevalent virus infects blueberry. Abstract for the North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workshop; 2018 Aug 12-15; Orono, MN.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The use of clean planting material is the most important component in virus disease management. The production and release of such material is ensured through a battery of tests including biological indexing and a panel laboratory tests. Modern technologies known as high throughput sequencing (HTS), has been shown to be superior to the current standard testing protocols in being able to detect all virus variants as well novel viruses for which no laboratory tests is available. HTS aided in the discovery of a novel luteovirus that was present in virus-tested plants. The presence of the virus was confirmed by RT-PCR using primers designed from HTS-derived sequences. The virus most closely resemble nectarine stem pitting-associated virus (NSPaV). Further analysis revealed presence of this same luteovirus in six additional blueberry selections; four of which were also classified as virus tested selections. Surveys are underway to assess the distribution of this virus across the country; preliminary results revealed the presence of the virus in fields from Washington, Oregon and Michigan. It has also been detected in several northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars held at the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm repository in Corvallis, Oregon.