VIEW ARTICLE

Etiology

Pathogenicity of Tobacco Ringspot Virus in Cherry. J. K. Uyemoto, Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY 14456; Maurice F. Welsh(2), and Eunice Williams(3). (2)(3)Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY 14456, (2)Present address: British Columbia Department of Agriculture, c/o Research Station, Summerland, British Columbia. Phytopathology 67:439-441. Accepted for publication 26 October 1976. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-439.

During indexing trials, tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) was sap-transmitted to herbaceous indicator plants: once from leaf or dormant bud extracts of two mature symptomless sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium) and repeatedly from a flowering cherry tree (P. serrulata). Attempts to repeat the isolation of TRSV in two successive yearly indexing seasons from these source trees failed. However, two virus isolates were introduced to healthy Mazzard seedlings (P. avium) by mechanical transmission. Inoculated leaves developed large chlorotic lesions, and systemic symptoms consisted of chlorotic lesions or sectors of chlorosis bordered with necrotic tissues. Collectively, the virus isolates were transmitted to 17 of 24 seedlings. In the second and third ensuing dormancy periods, the surviving seedlings yielded 6/23 and 9/22 TRSV transmissions, respectively. Recurrent leaf symptoms were observed on only four trees. Healthy Mazzard tree controls indexed negative in all assays.