Further studies on the tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus in the Dominican Republic
As mentioned in EPPO Reporting Service 94/199, a virus disease caused extremely serious losses on tomato production in the Dominican Republic, and the causal agent was considered as a tomato yellow leaf curl-like geminivirus. Further studies have been carried out. Symptomatic tomato plants and weeds were collected in the Dominican Republic in January and February 1994 and analysed by using nucleic acid squash blot hybridization and PCR. The virus found in the Dominican Republic was compared with tomato yellow leaf curl (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) from Israel and Italy (Sardegna), and tomato mottle geminivirus from USA (Florida). The results showed strong homology with the tomato yellow leaf curl from Israel. According to the authors, these results indicate that the Eastern Mediterranean strain of tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus has been introduced into the Dominican Republic and is widely distributed in the major tomato-growing regions.
Sources
Nakhla, M.K.; Maxwell, D.P.; Martinez, R.T.; Carvalho, M.G.; Gilbertson, R.L. ;(1994) Widespread occurrence of the Eastern Mediterranean strain of tomato yellow leaf curl geminivirus in tomatoes in the Dominican Republic.
Plant Disease, 78 (9), p 926.