First report of Rose rosette virus in India
Rose rosette virus (Emaravirus, RRV – EPPO Alert List) is associated with a disease which has been observed in North America since the 1940s on wild and cultivated roses (Rosa spp.). RRV is transmitted by an eriophyid mite, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus (Acari: Eriophyidae). In India, a survey on rose diseases was made near Siliguri (West Bengal) and 20 symptomatic samples of roses (Rosa sp.) were collected from 2 ornamental gardens and tested for the presence of RRV (RT-PCR with RRV specific primers, sequencing, electron microscopy). Results confirmed the presence of RRV in all tested symptomatic samples. Affected rose plants were showing symptoms of leaf curling and crumpling, flower deformation, leaf distortion, and persistent red pigmentation on older leaves. This is the first time that RRV is reported from India, and from a country outside North America.
The situation of Rose rosette virus in India can be described as follows: Present, detected in a small number of samples collected from West Bengal.
Sources
Chakraborty P, Das S, Saha B, Karmakar A, Saha D, Saha A (2017) Rose rosette virus: an emerging pathogen of garden roses in India. Australasian Plant Pathology doi:10.1007/s13313-017-0479-y