The identification of mild and severe strains of tobacco mosaic virus in doubly inoculated tomato plants

Abstract

Using specific antisera, it was possible to identify mild (MII-16) and the 0 and 1 strains of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in tomato plants infected with the mild strain following challenge inoculation with the wild strains. With single lesion isolates MII-16 and 0 strains can be assayed simultaneously in mixed isolates on Nicotiana glutinosa based on differences in local lesion size. The accuracy of this differential local lesion assay was about 90% as determined by back inoculation of single lesion isolates into susceptible tomato cultivars.