First Report of a Tospovirus Infection of Peanuts in Iran

During the summer of 2000, severe stunting, mosaic, bud necrosis, and chlorosis symptoms were observed on peanut (Arachis hypogaea cv. Gilan) plants growing in fields in the Golestan Province of Iran. Leaf extracts of peanut plants were infective (mechanical inoculation) causing necrotic local lesions on Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Gomphrena globosa, Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Talash, Vicia faba, and Vigna unguiculata cv. Mashad; systemic chlorotic spots were followed by systemic necrosis in Datura stramonium, D. metel, and Nicotiana rustica; chlorotic and necrotic spots were followed by top necrosis in Glycine max. About 2 weeks after inoculation, the chlorosis followed by stunting and bud necrosis observed in the field were reproduced in A. hypogaea cv. Gilan. Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was detected in the original peanut plants and in plant species that developed symptoms after inoculation with extracts from peanut plants, when analyzed by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using TSWV-specific antisera (polyclonal antibody As-0526 and As-0580, DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). TSWV is one of the most important viruses in the world (2) and has been reported on potato (3) and tomato (1) in Iran. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TSWV infection of peanut in Iran. References: (1) K. Bananej et al. Iran. J. Plant Pathol. 34:30, 1998. (2) R. A. Mumford et al. Ann. Appl. Biol. 128:159, 1996. (3) R. Pourrahim et al. Plant Dis. 85:442, 2001.