Control of tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus by symptomless mutants of the virus
Experiments were carried out in Israel to protect tomato crops from infection by tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus (potential EPPO A2 quarantine pest) by using symptomless mutants of the virus. It was assumed that Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) can be saturated with the mutated disarmed viruses and, thereby, be prevented the acquisition of virulent virions. As presented at the 6th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Montreal, in vitro mutated or plant isolated symptomless virus strains were cloned in the Agrobacterium Ti plasmid and then agroinoculated into tomato plants. Virions were produced, they replicated, spread within the plants, were acquired by whiteflies, but did not produce disease symptoms. Three weeks after the agroinoculation the plants were subjected to the infestation by B. tabaci populations containing various amounts of viruliferous insects. The plants pre-treated with the symptomless virus showed no or delayed symptoms.
Sources
Czosnek, H.; Zeidan, M.; Gronenborn, B. (1993) Protection of tomato crops from the tomato yellow leaf curl virus with virus symptomless mutants.
Presentation at the 6th International Congress of Plant Pathology, Montreal, CA, 1993-07/08-27/06.