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Seed transmission of Melon necrotic spot virus and efficacy of seed‐disinfection treatments
Author(s) -
HerreraVásquez J. A.,
CórdobaSellés M. C.,
Cebrián M. C.,
AlfaroFernández A.,
Jordá C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.928
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-3059
pISSN - 0032-0862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2008.01985.x
Subject(s) - biology , melon , seedling , cucumis , cotyledon , germination , horticulture
Rates of seed transmission of Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) were estimated in seedlings grown from commercial melon ( Cucumis melo ) cv. Galia F 1 seeds. Seedlings at the cotyledon stage and adult plants were assayed for MNSV by DAS‐ELISA and RT‐PCR. None of the seedling groups tested positive for MNSV by ELISA. The proportion of seedlings infected with MNSV was at least 7 and 8% in seed lots 05 and 06, respectively, as estimated from RT‐PCR analysis of grouped seedlings. Fourteen and eight grouped samples (10 seedlings per group), of a total of 200 and 100 seedlings, respectively, grown from infected seeds were MNSV‐positive in seed lots 05 and 06, respectively, corresponding to seed‐to‐seedling transmission rates of 11·3 and 14·8%, respectively. Several seed‐disinfection treatments were evaluated for their ability to prevent seed transmission of MNSV. The results suggest that a treatment of 144 h at 70°C can be used to eradicate MNSV in melon seeds without hindering germination.