Identification of Alfalfa Mosaic Virus ( AMV ) and Other Viruses from Wild and Cultivated Plant Species and Reaction of the Available Potato Cultivars to AMV in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Alfalfa mosaic virus ( AMV ) was detected by ELISA in some wild plant species in the major potato-producing regions in Saudi Arabia. These included : Chenopodium ambrosioides L. , Chenopodium spp. , Datura stramonium L., Solanum nigrum L. and Sonchus oleraceous L. Other viruses were also detected in these wild plants along with AMV . These were the potato viruses A, M, S,Y( PVA, PVM, PVS, PVY ) and tomato spotted wilt virus ( TSWV ) from Chenopodium spp. ; Cucumber mosaic virus ( CMV ), and potato virus X ( PVX ) from D. stramonium ; potato virus M and S ( PVM and PVS ) from S. nigrum and the potato viruses A, M, S, X ( PVA, PVM, PVS, PVX ), potato leafroll virus ( PLRV ) and TSWV from S. oleraceous . AMV was also detected in cultivated plant species neighbouring potato fields. These were pepper ( Capsicum annuum L. ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L. ), and eggplant ( Solanum melongena L. ) . Nineteen potato cultivars were tested for their reactions to AMV . All of these cultivars were found to be susceptible to the virus and various virus symptoms were observed on the inoculated plants