Seed Transmission of an Indian Isolate of Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infecting Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)
R. Madhubala
Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India.
S. Nakkeeran *
Agricultural College and Research Institute, Kudumiyanmalai - 622104, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India.
K. Anitha
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources - Regional Station, Hyderabad -500 030, Telangana, India.
P. Renukadevi
Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India.
V. G. Malathi
Sree Kumaran Hill Crest Apartment, Coimbatore – 641 041, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Chilli (Capsicum annuum. L) is an economically valuable spice crop worldwide and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is the major constraint for its production. To study its seed transmissibility nature, the chilli seedlings were sap-inoculated with CMV isolate (CMV-TSWA) from Warangal district, Telangana and raised under insect proof glasshouse condition until seed production. The CMV-infected plants developed mosaic, mottling, deformation, systemic infection, stunted appearance, delayed flower formation, deformed fruit production and reduced seed production compared to uninfected healthy plants. The virus was detected in the leaves, flowers, green fruit, dry pericarp and seeds of sap-inoculated chilli plants by DAC-ELISA and the percentage of detection was 83.33% in leaves, 46.66% in flowers, 20% in fruits, 16.66% in pericarp of dried chilli and 13.33% in seeds. Seedlings emerged from the infected seeds initially showed mottling and wrinkling of leaves, which further intensified as leaf deformation and stunted appearance compared to healthy ones, and the presence of CMV was confirmed by DAC-ELISA. CMV is seed-borne in chilli and transmitted from seed to seedlings and the rate of transmission was 9% as determined by grow-out test and DAC-ELISA.
Keywords: Cucumber mosaic virus, chilli, seed-borne, seed transmission, grow-out test, DAC-ELISA