Determination of Prevalence and Reservoir Weed Species of Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus-TSWV on Peppers Grown in Greenhouses in Kumluca District of Antalya, Turkey

Abstract

There are many viruses that infect pepper and limit its production. Among these viruses, Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) infects crops in 35 plant families that are economically important, including pepper. In the present study; totaly 156 leaf samples were collected, including 57 from pepper plants showing virus-like symptoms and 99 from weeds and/or plants other than peppers in and around the greenhouse, through surveys carried out in pepper greenhouses in Kumluca district of Antalya province, from September to December 2020. Then, the plant leaf samples were tested to determine TSWV infections by the Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA) method. According to result of the tests, it was determined that 55.76% of the tested leaf samples were infected with TSWV, while this rate was determined as 96.49% for pepper samples and 32.32% for other plant samples. During the survey studies, it was revealed that the leaf samples of 13 out of 31 weed and different plant species except pepper were infected with at least one of the viruses. In addition, pepper plants showing symptoms TSWV-like symptoms in pepper greenhouses were counted during the survey, and the prevalence of this virus disease was calculated on the basis of Kumluca district and neighborhoods. As a result of these calculations, the prevalences of TSWV; for Kumluca, Mavikent, Beykonak, Salur, Hacıveliler, Adrasan, Merkez, and Kavakköy were determined as 26.93%, 26.92%, 32.27%, 20.66%, 21.13%, 17.66%, 13%, and 25%, respectively.