Virus diseases of cucurbits

Abstract

There are over 200 known cucurbit diseases of diverse etiologies. Viruses are the most common causes of diseases affecting cucurbits, causing a signifi cant yield reduction. A large number of viruses have been reported to infect cucurbits. In Serbia, three economically signifi cant viruses are present on cucurbits: Zucchini yellow mosaic (ZYMV), Cucumber mosaic (CMV) and Watermelon mosaic (WMV). They cause very severe and destructive symptoms on the whole plants, leaves and fruit, leading to signifi cant yield losses. The main symptoms are: plant stunting, leaf deformation and severe young fruit deformation. These viruses are transmitted by several aphid species in a nonpersistent manner with variation in the virus prevalence. They occurred in single or mixed infections. Mixed infection are common in cucurbits causing a notable symptom enhancement due to synergistic effects. In addition to these viruses, Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) and Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV) have been detected in some pumpkin growing sites in Serbia, whose frequency has varied over the years. Over the last two decade, intensive spread of virus infection of oilseed pumpkin and other cucurbits has resulted in significant losses in their crop production in Serbia.

U usevu tikava širom sveta zabeleženo je preko 200 oboljenja različite etiologije. Virusi koji mogu da zaraze tikve su brojni i smatraju se najčešćim prouzrokovačima oboljenja tikava izazivajući značajno smanjenje prinosa. U našoj zemlji na tikvama prisutna su tri ekonomski značajna virusa: virus žutog mozaika cukinija (Zucchini yellow mosaic virus, ZYMV), virus mozaika krastavca (Cucumber mosaic virus, CMV) i virus mozaika lubenice (Watermelon mosaic virus, WMV). Najznačajniji virusi tikava izazivaju izražene i destruktivne simptome u vidu kržljavosti biljaka, deformacije lišća i izražene malformacije tek formiranih plodova, zbog čega su štete ogromne. Ovi virusi se prenose vašima na neperzistentan način, smenjuju se u pogledu prevalentnosti ili se često javljaju zajedno u kompleksnim zarazama. Kompleksne zaraze su česte u usevu tikava i imaju za posledicu značajno izraženije simtome usled sinergističkog delovanja. Pored ovih virusa, u Srbiji su na pojedinim lokalitetima gajenja tikava otkriveni i Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) i Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV), čija se učestalost po godinama menjala. Tokom poslednje dve decenije intenzivno širenje virusa tikava u našoj zemlji dovelo je do značajnih gubitaka u proizvodnji uljane tikve i drugih tikava u Srbiji.