Survey of Grapevine viruses in Chile

Abstract

Grapevines from six Chilean regions were surveyed for virus diseases and tested for the presence of the most important viruses. ELISA testing of 2535 samples and confirmatory RT-PCR of some ELISA-negative samples from symptomatic and symptomless vines gave the following infection rates: 6.36% for Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV); 4.67% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1); 16.05% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2); 6.41 % for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3); 0.26% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 7 (GLRaV-7); 14.99% for Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV); 5.57% for Grapevine virus A (GVA) and 0.78% for Grapevine virus B (GVB). Strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV) Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV) and Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) were not detected. Overall infection in the surveyed Chilean grapevines, considering ELISA and RT-PCR, was 32.35%. Virus infection ratio obtained from ELISA analysis in the six regions, varied between 21.19% (Region Metropolitana) and 74.26% (Coquimbo). RT-PCR was used for detection of the Red Globe strain of GLRaV-2 and Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV), and to confirm and extend ELISA results. GVB, GFkV, GRSPaV, GLRaV-2 RG and GLRaV-7 are new records for Chile.