Influence of Seed Treatment on Tobacco Mosaic Virus Incidence in Tobacco Seedlings and Virus Distribution in Greenhouse Transplant Production

Abstract

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is an economically important pathogen that has been studied for over one hundred years. Seedlings, seed coats, and nutrient solution were assayed for the presence of the virus and seed treatments were tested on seeds. Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS ELISA) and biological local lesion assay data were collected. Seed coats from seed collected from TMV infected plants were always positive for TMV regardless of chemical treatment. Seed from infected source plants have lower germination than seed from healthy plants. Trisodium phosphate and hydrochloric acid treatments reduced virus infection of seedlings when grown under controlled conditions. Virus particles were serologically and biologically detected in both the leaves and roots of seedlings mechanically inoculated with TMV. Nutrient solution collected from 28 day old seedlings, 12 days post inoculation, tested positive for biologically active TMV by ELISA and infectivity assay. Infected water in float bed production could facilitate viral movement to all seedlings sharing nutrient solution. Seed transmission of TMV was shown to occur at a rate of 0.2%. This is in contrast to other research attempting to demonstrate seed transmission where visual symptoms on seedlings have been used to assess seed transmission.