December 5, 2003
From:
EPPO Reporting Service 2003, No. 8 [edited]
2003/117
Squash leaf curl begomovirus found in Israel
The NPPO of Israel (PPIS) informed the EPPO Secretariat of the
presence of Squash leaf curl begomovirus (SLCV - EPPO A1 list)
in Israel. In Autumn 2002, severe leaf curling symptoms were
observed on cultivated squash
(_Cucurbita pepo_) in an agricultural settlement near Jerusalem
and thereafter by surveys in other cucurbit-growing areas around
the country.
SLCV was found affecting crops of squash
(_Cucurbita pepo_), pumpkin (_Cucurbita moschata_) and melon
(_Cucumis melo_), as well as the wild weed hosts _Ecballium
elaterium_ (_Cucurbitaceae_) and _Malva nicaeensis_
(_Malvaceae_). Surveillance is being maintained and further
scientific studies are being undertaken. The status of this pest
in Israel is declared as: Present.
Source: NPPO of Israel, 2003-09.
Antignus, Y.; Lachman, O.; Pearlsman, M.; Omer, S.; Yunis, H.;
Messika, Y.; Uko, O.; Koren, A. (2003) Squash leaf curl
geminivirus - a new illegal immigrant from the Western
Hemisphere and a threat to cucurbit crops in
Israel. Abstracts of presentations made at the 24th Congress of
the Israeli Phytopathological Society. Phytoparasitica 31(4), p
415. Also available on Internet:
http://www.phytoparasitica.org
[In most instances, the incidence of SLCV-affected plants in
Israel was close to 100 percent and was always associated with
high populations of the whitefly, _Bemisia tabaci_. SCLV has
been reported from USA (Arizona,
Texas, and California) as well as from Guatemala, Honduras,
Sinaloa and Sonora states in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The
authors claim that this is the 1st report of an epidemic caused
by a 'New World' geminivirus in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Additional reference:
http://gemini.biosci.arizona.edu/viruses/slcv/ - Mod.DH]
