First Report of Tobacco streak virus Infecting Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) in Maharashtra, India.

Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae), is extensively cultivated in India, China, and other parts of Asia for edible oil, dyeing agent, and its medicinal value. In 2003, safflower entry (NARI-6) in the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Oilseeds (Safflower) grown in the experimental fields of M/s Syngenta India Ltd., Aurangabad (Maharashtra State, India) exhibited symptoms of veinal and leaf necrosis, necrotic streaks on the stem, necrosis of the terminal bud, and ultimately plant death. The disease was attributed to Tobacco streak virus (TSV) because sunflower growing adjacent to safflower showed similar symptoms caused by TSV (1). Mechanical inoculations of sap from symptomatic safflower leaves caused typical symptoms of TSV (local, irregular, necrotic rings, veinal necrosis, and systemic veinal necrosis) on Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. cv. C-152 and Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) cv. Topcrop, and symptoms of local, necrotic lesions, veinal necrosis, and systemic necrosis of leaf and growing bud on Arachis hypogaea L. cv. JL-24. Sap-inoculated safflower cv. Manjeera showed chlorotic and necrotic local lesions followed by systemic leaf necrosis, leading to necrosis and death of the terminal bud. Safflower cvs. A-1, BIP-2, Co-1, and Bheema (10 plants of each cultivar) inoculated with sap from safflower plants showing typical TSV symptoms did not show any visible symptoms except stunting, but six to nine plants of each cultivar tested positive for TSV using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. In direct antigen coating-ELISA, the virus reacted positively with antiserum produced to an isolate of TSV from peanut (2) and to antiserum to TSV (ATCC-PVAS 276 for Datura stramonium), but did not react to peanut bud necrosis tospovirus antiserum. Examination of leaf extracts using leaf-dips and immunosorbent electron microscopy with the antiserum of TSV-peanut isolate showed isometric particles resembling those in the genus Ilarvirus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an isolate of Tobacco streak virus infecting safflower. References: (1) R. D. V. J. Prasada Rao et al. J. Oilseeds Res. 17:400, 2000. (2) A. S. Reddy et al. Plant Dis. 86:173, 2002.