Oxidant injury reduction on tobacco induced by tobacco etch virus infection

Abstract

Symptoms on tobacco induced by tobacco etch virus (TEV) infection may be difficult to distinguish from oxidant damage. Field observations indicated reduced oxidant damage in commercial tobacco plantings when TEV-infected plants were compared with apparently non-infected plants. Three commercially grown varieties and two experimental breeding lines were utilised at 10 and 12 weeks after transplanting. Treatments consisted of non-inoculated, non-inoculated plants, inoculated and inoculated plus ozone. TEV-infected plants when exposed to O 3 expressed less oxidant injury, fleck and necrosis than similar non-inoculated plants. Twelve-weeks-old plants were not protected from O 3 damage as much as 10-weeks-old plants. Similar flecking occurred on mature leaves of both inoculated and exposed-uninoculated plants; however, mosaic patterns characteristic of young leaves on infected plants were absent on uninoculated-exposed plants.