Situation of tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus in Iran
Tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) has recently been reported from Iran (see EPPO RS 94/190). In some regions the impact of the disease has been so severe that some farmers were forced to shift from tomato to aubergine or other crops. A limited survey using the dot-blot hybridization assay was conducted. Tomato crops in 10 major tomato-growing provinces of Iran were screened for the presence of symptoms and samples from diseased plants were tested. The results showed that tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus is present in southern provinces of Iran (Sistan Baluchestan, Kerman, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Khuzestan), but not in the northern provinces, although the vector Bemisia tabaci is present in the majority of the geographical locations studied.
Sources
Hajimorad, M.R.; Kheyr-Pour, A.; Alavi, V.; Ahoonmanesh, A.; Bahar, M.; Rezaian, M.A.; Gronenborn, B.; (1996) Identification of whitefly transmitted tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus from Iran and a survey of its distribution with molecular probes.
Plant Pathology, 45(3), 418-425.