VIEW ARTICLE

An Unusual New Virus, Possibly of the Potyvirus Group, from Pepper in Nigeria. Allan O. Lana, Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Biology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; R. M. Gilmer(2), G. F. Wilson(3), and S. A. Shoyinka(4). (2)Visiting Professor, Department of Agricultural Biology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; (3)Associate Scientist, Farming Systems Programme, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan; (4)Research Fellow, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, University of Ife, Nigeria. Phytopathology 65:1329-1332. Accepted for publication 29 April 1975. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-65-1329.

A virus which induced mottle and foliar rugosity in pepper was mechanically transmitted to several pepper cultivars. Physical properties of the virus were: thermal inactivation point, 62 C; dilution end point, 10^–3 to 10^–4; and longevity in expressed sap about 3 days at 20-25 C. The virus was readily transmitted by Aphis craccivora, Aphis gossypii, and an unidentified Aphis sp. The virus was not transmitted to any Solanaceous species other than pepper either by mechanical inoculation, grafting, or by the aphid vectors. Electron micrographs of the infectious crude pepper sap indicated that the virus particle was a flexuous-rod, 735 nm × 14 nm. Using both degraded and intact virus, immunodiffusion tests with antisera of tobacco mosaic virus, pepper mottle virus, potato virus Y, tobacco etch virus, tobacco rattle virus, and cucumber mosaic virus were unsuccessful. Microprecipitin tests with pepper veinal mottle virus antiserum indicated a possible relationship.