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Outdoor lettuce: screening crops for presence of virus
Summary
The Problem:
Field-based lettuce crops are grown quite intensively in the UK and such crops are prone to virus & viroid infection potentially arising via many different routes. Possible routes of introduction include seed, young plants, weed hosts, vectors including aphids, nematodes, thrips, fungi or via mechanical transmission during planting, weeding or other operations in the crop. Currently, there is no routine screening for virus and whilst crop scouts may detect symptomatic plants there is no means of detecting asymptomatic viruses that may be debilitating plant development in the absence of gross symptoms.
No survey of virus infection in UK field lettuce has been undertaken for a considerable time and therefore the potential impact of viruses such as LMV and BWYV is not known. A virus screening exercise similar to that proposed was carried out in Spain in 2001/2002. This study found Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV), Beet western yellows virus (BWYV) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) all present in lettuce samples. In some instances multiple viruses were found in single samples. In addition to sampling lettuce crops the study screened associated natural vegetation such as nearby weeds and found them to be important reservoirs of infection (Moreno et al 2004)
The primary purpose of the project, therefore, is to carry out a systematic survey of UK field lettuce (and possibly weed species) over a one or two year period to determine the incidence, prevalence and significance of lettuce viruses.
Downloads
FV 427_Report_Annual_2015 FV 427_Literature review_GS_2014 FV 427_Report_Final_2018_0 FV 427_GS_Final_2018_0 FV 427_Literature review_2014 FV 427_GS_Annual_2015About this project
Project objective(s):
1. Conduct a desk-study to review which viruses have previously been reported in UK and European leafy salad crops. Determine which lettuce viruses can be tested for efficiently and cost effectively using an ELISA based system and draw up a list of priority viruses for the project.
2. Gather geographically diverse lettuce plant samples over the 2014/2015 season, according to a standardised sampling protocol, and store as necessary prior to analysis. Gather information regarding the performance/quality of the crops sampled relative to expected performance/quality.
3. Screen samples for the viruses determined in Objective 1 using commercially available ELISA test kits.
4. Relate performance of crops to presence/absence of virus and communicate results to growers via the project report.
5. Communicate information regarding virus vectors and control of the vectors that transmit the viruses detected during the project. Prepare a Factsheet on Lettuce Viruses and their control.