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Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV)

Virus, POTYVIRIDAE, POTYVIRUS .

Crops attacked: lettuce .

[R]Common Names :

Lettuce mosaic virus,

Identification, Description, Biology, Epidemiology, Treatement, Possible misleading, Images

[R]Identification
LMV detection in lettuce leaves and seeds is based on traditional assays on test hosts and serological tests particularly those using the ELISA technique.

[R]Description
The characteristic symptoms on susceptible cultivars are dwarfism, mosaic, distorsion and yellowing of the leaves with sometimes a very reduced lettuce heart.
The difference in virus strains, cultivars and the physiological stage of the host at the moment of the attack causes different intensities of the symptoms : from a very slight discoloration of the veins to severe necrosis leading to the death of the plant.

[R]Biology
Contamination of the fields occurs from weed hosts (21 species belonging to 9 families : mainly Compositae).
The disease is spread from primary infected plants by a number of in a non-persistent way.
Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae are particularly active in disseminating this disease in the fields.
This virus is also seed-borne.
The effectiveness of LMV transmission depends on the cultivar and the date of inoculation of the seed-carrier.

[R]Epidemiology
As the use of certified virus-free seeds is not compulsory in Europe and the areas with tolerant cultivars keep expanding, the disease is hard to control.

[R]Treatement
Use certified seeds (MTO = "Mosaic Tolerance Zero").
Eliminate the crops infected by the virus.

[R]Possible misleading
.

[R] Images

  1. Lettuce mosaic virus, LMV (PAILLARD G., INRA)
    Lettuce mosaic virus Very severe mosaic followed by necrosis on a lettuce leaf infectedby LMV.

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HYP3 on line : Species (scientific name), Diseases (common names), Glossary, Crops.

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