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Decreased Detectability of Grapevine Leafroll‐associated virus 3 in Sakasly Grapevines Cultivated Under the Sahara Conditions
Author(s) -
Ben salemFnayou A.,
Gugerli P.,
Zemni H.,
Mliki A.,
Ghorbel A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0434
pISSN - 0931-1785
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0434.2006.01142.x
Subject(s) - mealybug , cutting , biology , vitis vinifera , horticulture , cultivar , polymerase chain reaction , virus , virology , botany , pest analysis , gene , biochemistry
The detectability of grapevine‐leafroll‐associated virus 3 (GLRaV‐3) was investigated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) in the domestic grapevine cultivar Sakasly, grown over two successive years in the Sahara, at Rjim‐Mâatoug in Tunisia. Self‐rooted cuttings, infected with GLRaV‐3 were cultivated and the presence of the virus was checked over 2 years and compared with controls. During the first year, 80% of the originally infected vines were negative for GLRaV‐3 using ELISA. After the second year, 93% and 95% of these plants were negative for GLRaV‐3 using ELISA and RT–PCR, respectively. Furthermore, rooted cuttings derived from GLRaV‐3‐negative plants and grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse (at 16–20°C) were ELISA‐negative in most cases (84%). In addition, biological indexing on Vitis vinifera cv. Gamay Rouge de la Loire showed no leafroll symptoms on this indicator in 92% of the grafted vines. These results suggest a naturally occurring heat therapy in the Tunisian Sahara, which could be of practical importance for the production of GLRaV‐3‐free grapevine cuttings, especially as scale insect and mealybug vectors have not been observed in this area.