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Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus on watermelon in Queensland, Australia


A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: Tue 21 Apr 2015

Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Rural [edited] <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-21/major-melon-virus-detected-on-north-queensland-farm-biosecurity/6407984>

Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV), which wiped out the majority of the Northern Territory's [NT] melon industry, has been found on a watermelon farm in north Queensland. Dianne Fullelove, Australian Melon Association, said the outbreak appeared to be isolated to a Charters Towers watermelon farm which has now been quarantined.

This is the 1st time the virus has been found on a Queensland farm, although last year [2014] Biosecurity Queensland [BQ] investigated nurseries linked to affected growers in NT. Ms Fullelove said it was too early to determine if the Charters Towers incursion came from a NT farm or from a nursery. "We're not sure how long the virus has been there, may be up to 5 months," she said.

The NT's melon industry is worth around AUD 60 million (USD 46.3 million], Queensland's has a value of AUD 90 million. However, Ms Fullelove said the disease is not only a risk to [the] melon industry, but also to cucumbers, zucchinis, pumpkins and squash. "It's a huge risk to all of Australia," she said.

BQ said, "While there is a probable source of the virus, [we] will still conduct investigations to identify other possible [sources] and to determine if the virus has been moved from the property."

Horticulture group Growcom is "deeply concerned" [that] resources were already stretched in the wake of Panama [disease of banana] [TR4; see ProMED-mail post 20150411.3288176].

The Federal Department of Agriculture introduced mandatory testing for imported cucurbit seed in November last year [2014]. Since [then], imported seed showing signs of the virus had been detected. Ms Fullelove [said], "It's been not only [in] commercial varieties but also trial varieties." BQ said, "We know the companies that were associated with plantings in the NT, but won't divulge them."

Ms Fullelove said, "We think that the seed that was originally planted was not tested because it came in before November [2014]. It's important, for example with harvest workers, to make sure they have cleaned all their gear and they're not [taking items] used on one property to another."

[byline: Nathan Coates, Marty McCarthy]

--

communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[_Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus_ (CGMMV; genus _Tobamovirus_) is a major pathogen of cucurbit crops with reported yield losses of around 15 per cent. The virus has a narrow host range. Many strains, including the type strain occurring in Europe, are limited to Cucurbitaceae, but some isolates have been reported which can also affect a number of species in other families, including Amaranthaceae and Solanaceae. Symptoms vary in different host species and may be masked in field crops. They may include severe leaf mosaic, deformation of vines and internal fruit symptoms such as discolouration and rotting of flesh.

CGMMV is both seed and pollen transmitted. It is extremely stable and can also be spread by mechanical means (human activities, insect damage, plant-to-plant contact), with contaminated agricultural tools (as mentioned above), infected plant material, in water and contaminated soil. Spread by specific insect vectors appears doubtful.

Disease management may include removal of virus reservoirs, phytosanitary practices and use of certified clean seed or other planting material. Transgenic rootstock lines of some cucurbit crops (including watermelon) with resistance to CGMMV have been or are being developed.

In Australia, CGMMV has been detected in 2 cucurbit crops, watermelon and pumpkin, as well as a number of weed hosts in the NT (ProMED-mail posts 20141009.2844854, 20141027.2904033 & 20150226.3195501).

Initially, it was suggested that the virus may have entered the country with infected watermelon seed from overseas. However, its presence in these multiple hosts would now suggest that the virus may have been present in the country before its 1st official confirmation, perhaps on wild cucurbits, which are common in central Australia and may have provided a virus reservoir. Alternatively, different strains may be present in the crops and the weeds, in which case the strain(s) affecting the crops may have been introduced on seeds. To clarify these questions, strains from the different hosts need to be characterised.

In the NT, CGMMV has currently been identified on 21 properties, mostly both on crop and weed species (see links to updates below). The NT outbreak has been officially declared as no longer being eradicable and a National Management Plan for the virus is being devised.

 

Maps

Australia (with states):

<http://www.webookaustralia.com/images/australiamap.jpg>

Queensland:

<http://www.ozhorizons.com.au/queensland_map>

<http://healthmap.org/promed/p/285>

Location of Charters Towers:

<http://www.australia-trips.info/Destinations/Qld/Charters_Towers/Charters_Towers_Area_MAp.jpg>

 

Pictures

CGMMV symptoms on cucurbit leaves and vines:

<http://phamnhatlinh.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/greenmosaic.jpg>,

<http://www.envirologix.com/artman/uploads/cukevine.jpg>,

<http://www.nt.gov.au/d/cgmmv/Content/Image/gallery/CGMMV%20watermelon%20leaf%20mottling%20Credit%20HM%20Clause%20Inc.jpg>

and

<http://docsdrive.com/images/academicjournals/ijv/2011/fig2-2k11-1-12.jpg>

(also on _Chenopodium_ indicator)

CGMMV affected cucurbit fruits:

<https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sites/gateway/files/cucumber%20green%20mottle%20mosaic%20virus1.jpg>

(watermelon),

<http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/5751900-3x2-340x227.jpg>

(watermelon) and

<http://www.english.vkm.no/eway/imgstore/6efd6060bc.jpg> (cucumber) CGMMV symptoms photo galleries via:

<http://www.melonsaustralia.org.au/news/CGMMV-identification>

CGMMV particles, electron micrograph:

<http://www.virologyj.com/content/8/1/228/figure/F1>

 

Links

Additional news stories:

<http://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/news/agriculture/horticulture/general-news/melon-virus-found-in-nq/2729908.aspx>

and

<http://www.freshplaza.com/article/138581/Cucumber-virus-found-on-Queensland-melon-farm>

Recent updates on CGMMV in NT:

<http://www.nt.gov.au/d/cgmmv/>,

<http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/10835>,

<http://www.agriculture.gov.au/about/media-centre/communiques/nmg-cucumber>,

<http://www.freshplaza.com/article/138050/Farmers-questions-on-CGMMV-to-be-answered>,

<http://www.freshplaza.com/article/138068/AU-Greenlight-for-NT-melons>,

<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-26/cucumber-mosaic-virus-nt-worry/6349794>,

<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-07/no-changes-for-katherine-melon-grower-infected-by-cgmmv/6368246>,

<http://www.freshplaza.com/article/137387/AU-Melon-virus-eradication-no-longer-option>,

<http://www.hortidaily.com/article/16347/Australia-Cucumber-Green-Mottle-Mosaic-Virus-threat-to-Northern-Territorys-$60-million-industry>

and

<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-30/central-australian-melon-farmer-says-virus-is-out-of-control/6359150>

Information and description of CGMMV and diseases:

<http://www.dpvweb.net/dpv/showdpv.php?dpvno=154>,

<http://www.verdelab.it/?lang=eng&IDC=11&ID=6>,

<http://pvo.bio-mirror.cn/descr265.htm>,

<http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/Datasheet.aspx?dsid=16951>,

<http://www.harrismoran.com/products/cucumber/pdf/CGMMVBrochure.pdf>

and

<http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-7026-0_14>

CGMMV fact sheets and resources:

<http://www.amseed.org/wp-content/uploads/CGMMV-Brochure-rev2-Final-4-22-2014-1.pdf>

and

<http://www.melonsaustralia.org.au/news/CGMMV-identification>

CGMMV epidemiology and diagnosis:

<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ppa.12065/full> and <http://bit.ly/1thsSnp> CGMMV resistant transgenic watermelon:

<http://www.researchgate.net/publication/7625438_Transgenic_watermelon_rootstock_resistant_to_CGMMV_%28cucumber_green_mottle_mosaic_virus%29_infection>

CGMMV taxonomy via:

<http://ictvonline.org/virusTaxonomy.asp?version=2012> - Mod.DHA]

 

[See Also:

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, reservoirs - Australia: (NT) survey 20150226.3195501

2014

---

Cucumber green mottle mosaic, pumpkin - Australia: (NT)

20141027.2904033

Cucumber green mottle mosaic, watermelon - Australia (02): 1st rep

(NT) 20141009.2844854

Cucumber green mottle mosaic, watermelon - Australia: (NT) susp.

20140918.2785893

2013

---

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, melon - USA: 1st rep (CA) 20131219.2124396] 



More news from: ISID (International Society for Infectious Diseases)


Website: http://www.isid.org

Published: April 23, 2015

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