Agriculture / 5. Plant, selection and seed production

 

Postgraduate student Andrusyk I. M.

Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Antipov I. M.

National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine

Testing of virus diseases of the sugar beet plants in agrocenoses of Ukraine

 

The viral infections of the sugar beet plants are monitored and tasted in several farms of Ternopil region of Ukraine.  The infection of beet mosaic virus (BtMV) and beet yellow virus (BYV) are detected by the methods of visual diagnostics, biological testing and PCR.

To prevent the spread of this infection and reduce disease level to economically acceptable, all stages of the process must be followed by the rules of prophylaxis, moreover the seed has to be free from any diseases. However, the information about the spreading and species diversity of viruses which infect sugar beets on the territory of Ternopil district is insufficient. The study of the etiology of diseases will allow to develop some effective methods of protecting plants and preserve the quality of harvest and raw materials.

During the summer of 2013, we had been conducting inspection of sugar beet crops in Ternopil district (Ternopil region., v. Osipovka, v. Volya; Pidvolochisskiy region,         v. Kamyanka; Zalishchyky region., v. Novosylka).  Such  observations shown us uneven spread of these viruses in all inspected areas.

Evaluation infestation of plants was performed by the method of visual diagnostics and plant material samples were taken for further laboratory investigations, furthermore weeds with the symptoms of virus diseases were selected on the sugar beet fields. During the inspection, symptoms had been noticed as the light painted spots of different form and size, which form a marble or mosaic picture. Yellow or orange spots with vague contours  appear on the leaves at the defeat of plants by beet yellow virus (BYV). Yellowing starts from the top of the list.  Some necrotic spots  appear on the yellowed leaf and the leaf becomes  thicker and wavy.

 As the diagnosis of diseases of plants by only visual signs are not always accurate, this method can be useful only if the symptoms of virus lesion are characteristic to it. To confirm the previous conclusion on viral lesion, together with external review it is necessary to apply additional methods. One of them is biological testing.

The method of inoculation by juice of diseased plants is suitable for transmission to healthy plants only for those viruses which can spread through contact-mechanical method [2]. The leaves with the exact symptoms were used for making juice. Finely cut leaves were ground in a mortar with a small amount of water and silicon carbide. Than the juice was squeezed from that mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth and smeared to a healthy leaf by spatula. The appearing of symptoms was observed after some while.

Infectious nature of noticed diseases was identified by using established biological tests. The juice of diseased plants of sugar beet had been used as infectious material. The  infectious material was crushed and ground in a mortar with the addition of 0.1 M phosphate buffer at a ratio of 1: 2. The resulted homogenate was filtered [2].

To avoid the inactivation of viruses in the environment for extracting, the reducing agent was added. The inoculation of virus-containing material was made by putting carbide powder on plants-indicators leaves. An excess of inoculum was washed with water, and then plant indicators were kept in a shaded place during the day [3].

Biological testing performed by mechanical inoculation of plant indicators. Such   indicators of plant were used: Tetragonia expansa Murr., Chenopodium amaranticolor C. et R., Chenopodium quinoa Willd., Chenopodium album L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Cucumis sativus L., Phaseolus vulgaris L.

The properties of viruses in infectious  juice was determined by conventional methods using as indicator plants Chenopodium amaranticolor for beet mosaic virus and Chenopodium quinoa for beet yellow virus. Systemic reaction in the form of a yellow-green mosaic leaf plate and yellowing appeared at 15th day. After 21 days the symptoms of viral lesions with the enlightenment of veins on the young leaves appeared in plants Chenopodium amaranticolor. Leaves changed color to light-yellow[1].

Contamination of sugar beet by viral pathogens in accordance with the identified symptoms was checked using PCR. The advantages of this method were identified  by extraordinary precision experiment, a minimum number of plant samples and virtually absolute determination of the virus in the sample.

As a result, a test system was created for the diagnosis and identification BtMV and BYV by PCR.

Consequently after analyzing sampled sugar beet  in the Ternopil region by using PCR, the presence of virus disease was shown. Beet mosaic virus was found on the fields of  such villages as Volya in Ternopil region., Kamyanka in Pidvolochysky region and Novosylka, Zalischyky region. Beet yellow virus was detected on the fields of  Osipovka village, Ternopil region and Kamyanka village, Pidvolochysky region.

Therefore, the results obtained on isolation and identification of phytoviruses in combination with classic methods of viral diagnosis allowed to draw a clear phytosanitary control of sugar beet plants in Ternopil. Infection of sugar beet by BtMV and BYV in the field revealed by the results of visually identify of symptoms, typical for viral diseases, biological testing juice of affected samples on plants-indicators of virus diseases. The selection of healthy planting material and early detection using PCR is the key to identify diseased plants, which consequently leads to higher yields of sugar beet.

 

 

 

Literature:

1.     Andrusyk I. PCR diagnostic and identification of beet yellow virus / I.Andusyk, I.Antipov, A.Kyrychenko // Bulletin of Sumy National Agriculture University.  Serie “Agronomics and biology". V. 11 (26), 2013 : scientific magazine. – Sumy :  SNAU, 2013. – P. 42.

2.     Melnychuk M. Diagnostics of virus infections of sugar beet in agrocoenoses of Ukraine / M. Melnychuk, S. Smirnova, E. Kachura, A. Smirnova // Collection of scientific works [Institute for Sugar Beet UAAN]. – 2003. – V. 5. – P. 320-325.

3.     Polyschuk V. Manual of practical lessons to the course "General virology" / V.Polyschuk, Y.Budzanyvska, T.Shevchenko. – Kiev: Phytosocial center, 2005. – P. 129-133

4.     Markoulatos P. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction: a practical approach / P. Markoulatos, N.Siafakas, M.Moncany // J. Clin. Laborat. Analysis. – 2002. – V. 16. – P. 47–51.