EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 05 - 1998 Num. article: 1998/92

Detection of iris yellow spot tospovirus in onion in Israel


In Israel (Bet Shean Valley) in March 1997, 20 to 30 % of field-grown onion (Allium cepa) showed unusual symptoms characterized by straw-coloured ringspots on leaves and flower stalks. Analyses showed that the plants were infected by iris yellow spot tospovirus. A high incidence of the disease observed in the surrounding fields and in other onion-growing areas in Israel was associated with large populations of Thrips tabaci. This virus is also known to occur in the Netherlands (Derks ; Lemmers, 1996), where it has occasionally been detected in iris and leek.


Sources

Derks, A.L.F.M.; Lemmers, M.E.C. (1996) Detection of tospoviruses in bulbous crops and transmissibility by vegetative propagation.
Acta Horticulturae, no. 432, 132-139.

Gera, A.; Cohen, J.; Salomon, R.. Raccah, B. (1998) Iris yellow spot tospovirus detected in onion (Allium cepa) in Israel.
Plant Disease, 82(1), p 127.