Non-transmission of Plum Pox Virus through Seeds of Myrobalan and Apricot

KAMENOVA, I., 2016. Non-transmission of plum pox virus through seeds of myrobalan and apricot. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 267–271 Seeds from wild-grown myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) infected with PPV-D strain and from apricot (P. armeniaca) infected with PPV-Rec strain were investigated for their potential role in virus transmission. The presence of PPV was checked in fully ripe seeds, geminated seeds and seedlings. While the results obtained by DASI-ELISA tests of whole seeds and separated seed coats from myrobalan were negative for PPV, IC-RT-PCR showed virus presence in forty six and forty seven samples out of 50 tested, respectively. Both DASI-ELISA and IC-RT-PCR detected PPV in the whole seeds and seed coats from apricot displaying pale spots and/or rings on the stones and did not detect the virus in the seeds coming from stones without symptoms. The virus was identifi ed in the cotyledons containing the embryo only by IC-RT-PCR and only in apricot seeds showing symptoms on the stone. Seedlings investigated for a period of two years never showed symptoms and were found PPV-negative, both by DASI-ELISA and IC-RT-PCR. On the base of the results obtained it can be concluded that the seeds from P. cerasifera Ehth. infected with PPV-D and from apricot infected with PPV-Rec strain do not transmit the virus.