First report of Eggplant mottled crinkle virus in Greece
During winter 2020–2021, a severe virus-like disease outbreak was observed in aubergine (Solanum melongena) hybrids growing under protected conditions in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. In three greenhouses, the percentage of infected plants reached 100%, leading to crop abandonment. Symptoms included leaf mottling and yellowing accompanied by plant stunting and apical necrosis. Extensive fruit damage was due to severe malformation and necrotic lesions on the calyx, peduncle, and endocarp. The causal agent was identified as being eggplant mottled crinkle virus (Tombusvirus, EMCV). This is the first report of EMCV in Greece. All plants in the greenhouse were destroyed. The origin of the outbreak in Crete is unknown.
EMCV was originally described in eggplant in Lebanon and subsequently reported from Japan (on Eustoma russellianum), India (on aubergine and Solanum capsicastrum), Italy (on Pyrus trees), Peru (on Solanum sessiliflorum), Taiwan (on Zantedeschia spp.), Iran (on geranium), Israel (on aubergine). Tombusvirus species in general are readily transmitted mechanically in the field. EMCV is reported to be spread through soil, and surface water is a potential pathway, since several tombusviruses have been isolated from rivers and streams. Some tombusvirus species may be seed transmitted at a very low level, but this has not been reported for EMCV.
It may be noted that the EFSA Plant Health Panel (2019) concluded that EMCV meets all the criteria to be considered as a Union quarantine pest (with an uncertainty linked to its geographical distribution) when assessing non-EU viruses of fruit trees. In addition, the NPPO of the Netherlands conducted a rapid pest risk assessment and concluded that EMCV should be included in the official survey program for the Netherlands.
Note: Pictures of EMCV symptoms were kindly provided by C. Varveri and E. Smaragdakis and are available in EPPO Global Database.
Sources
Beris D, Malandraki I, Kektsidou O, Varveri C (2021) First report of eggplant mottled crinkle virus infecting eggplant in Greece. Plant Disease online. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-21-0611-PDN
EFSA PLH Panel (EFSA Plant Health Panel), Bragard C, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Gonthier P, Jacques M-A, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas-Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Thulke H-H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappala L, Candresse T, Chatzivassiliou E, Finelli F, Winter S, Chiumenti M, Di Serio F, Kaluski T, Minafra A, Rubino L (2019) Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation of non-EU viruses and viroids of Cydonia Mill., Malus Mill. and Pyrus L. EFSA Journal 17(9), 5590, 81 pp. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019. 5590
NPPO of the Netherlands (2021) Quick scan for eggplant mottled crinkle virus (EMCV). 6 pp. Available from https://pra.eppo.int/pra/39135c3b-39db-40a3-8e1a-04408f22f4d9