Investigation of Tobacco rattle virus infection in peonies (Paeonia L.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of peony ring spot disease in the collections of foreign and Lithuanian origin peony cultivars and hybrids and to identify a causal agent of this viral disease. During surveys of ornamental plant collections grown in Lithuania, solitary instances of affected by peony ring spot disease plants have been detected in all collections surveyed. Diseased plants occurred in the similar frequency in cultivars of foreign and Lithuanian origin from species Paeonia lactiflora, P. lutea, P. officinalis, P. suffruticosa. Samples of diseased plants were collected for investigation of disease causal agent. Virus was isolated and identified using classical virological (test-plants, electron microscopy) and modern molecular biology (DAS-ELISA, RT-PCR) methods. Inoculated test-plants expressed reaction characteristic to Tobacco rattle virus (TRV); electron microscopy investigation revealed characteristic to this virus rod-shaped particles of two modal lengths. Data of DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR confirmed TRV infection in naturally infected peony plants and in inoculated test-plants.