An assessment of the transmission rate of the Tomato black ring virus through tomato seeds

The tomato black ring virus (TBRV) infects a wide range of economically important plants, and is distributed worldwide. TBRV is transmitted by soil-inhabiting nematodes. However, long-distance dispersion is possible via the seeds and pollen. In this study, we provided evidence that the virus can be efficiently transmitted through tomato seeds. Three tomato varieties (Betalux, Grace and Moneymaker) and four genetically diverse TBRV isolates originally collected from different hosts were used in the experiments. The seedlings were grown in an insect-proof glasshouse and the presence of TBRV was verified by an immunoassay (ELISA). The seed transmission was significantly dependent on the tomato cultivar and virus isolate ranging from 1.69 up to 14.57%. The bioassays using Chenopodium quinoa plants confirmed the presence of the infectious virus in the seeds.