Biological properties of cucumber mosaic virus of vegetables

Abstract

Goal. To carry out diagnostics and to establish ways of spreading cucumber mosaic virus on the territory of Ukraine. Methods. A range of methods was used, which included visual diagnostics, enzyme immunoassay, method in various modifications, electron microscopy method, and statistical data processing method. Results. Monitoring of crops in different climatic regions of Ukraine for visual symptoms was carried out. Enzyme immunoassay revealed that the symptoms on the plants were caused by cucumber mosaic virus. Using electron microscopy, the morphological properties of the virus were studied, and spherical viral particles with a size of 29 nm were detected. Commercial seeds of different varieties of cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and vegetable peppers were tested for the possibility of their viral contamination. Commercial seeds were found to be contaminated with cucumber mosaic virus antigens. Conclusions. Plants of the Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae families were selected according to their characteristic symptoms. The presence of cucumber mosaic virus in Ukraine has been proved using electron microscopy and enzyme immunoassay. Virus-infected plants were diagnosed in agrocnosis of Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Kherson regions. Various commercial seed varieties of Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae were tested for viral contamination. It was found that 37% of them were infected with cucumber mosaic virus and therefore became a potentially dangerous reservoir for viral infection and, as a consequence, a serious cause of outdoor vegetable disease.