Date: 26 July 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Abc.net.au [edited]
<http://abc.net.au/news/australia/qld/capricornia/200607/s1697159.htm>

Breakthrough in sunflower disease identification

Researchers have identified a disease that has been damaging sunflower crops in Queensland's central highlands for up to 4 years. It is the first time the tobacco streak virus has been found on sunflowers in Australia. It causes black streaks on the plants and stunts their growth and has affected crop yields in the Emerald area.

Richard Routley from the Department of Primary Industries says they are now trying to overcome the problem. "First time it's been isolated in sunflowers in Australia as far as we know, certainly in other countries it's been isolated in sunflowers and causing us problems," he said. "But it's likely that the virus has been, well, it is throughout Queensland, and it's likely that it's been in central Queensland in the past, but what we're not sure of is why it's shown up in sunflowers all of a sudden."

--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The oil crop plant sunflower, _Helianthus annuus_, develops symptoms of necrosis when infected by tobacco streak virus (TSV, family: Bromoviridae, genus: Ilarvirus).

The virus TSV has a worldwide distribution including Australia. It is often associated with viral diseases in crops such as tobacco, soybeans, beans, peanut, strawberry and asparagus. This is the 1st report in sunflower in Australia. It is associated with necrosis of sunflower in India. The natural vector is thrips (3 thrips species, _Megalurothrips usitatus_, _Frankliniella schultzei_ and _Scirtothrips dorsalis_, were vectors in the presence of infected pollen in India). Seed/pollen transmission is a characteristic property of the virus.
Map: <http://www.about-australia.com/maps/queensland/>
Pictures: <http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/Bimages.cfm?area=62&sub=6999>
Links: <http://image.fs.uidaho.edu/vide/descr811.htm>
<http://www.sathguru.com/absp2/groundnut.php>
<http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2003.tb00262.x>
- Mod.JAD]

[see also in the archive:
2005
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Tobacco streak virus, mung bean - India: 1st report 20051214.3595
2001
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Tobacco streak disease, peanut - India 20011118.2839 Tobacco streak virus, sunflower - India 20010830.2057]