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CucCAP scientist documents emergence of new melon and watermelon virus in southwestern U.S.
Commercial fields of melon and watermelon exhibiting mosaic symptoms and foliar distortion of new growth were observed in Arizona and California. Although testing of symptomatic plants for presence of five whitefly- or aphid- transmitted viruses detected cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) in most samples, and some infection by cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), not all symptoms were typical of CYSDV or CCYV. Further analysis for begomoviruses showed that the majority of samples were co-infected by watermelon chlorotic stunt virus. (WmCSV), a new virus that had not been previously reported to infect cucurbit crops in the U.S.
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