Evaluation of the National Plant Germplasm System's Garlic Collection for Seven Viruses

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L. and A. longicuspis Regel.) germplasm maintained by the USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station (WRPIS) was screened for four viruses commonly infecting garlic [Garlic common latent carlavirus (GCLV), Leek yellow stripe potyvirus (LYSV), Onion yellow dwarf potyvirus (OYDV), and Shallot latent carlavirus (SLV)] plus three others [Iris yellow spot tospovirus (IYSV), Tobacco rattle tobravirus (TRV), and Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV)]. Over 200 accessions were rated for the incidence of symptomatic plants during two production seasons, in July 2005 and June 2006. In both years, incidence of symptomatic plants ranged from less than 10% to 100% in individual accessions. Laboratory testing of selected accessions showed that the accessions were predominantly infected with OYDV (60% of infections), followed by GCLV (25%) and LYSV (15%). Accepted for publication 26 June 2008. Published 19 September 2008.