VIEW ARTICLE

Disease Detection and Losses

Serological Methods for Detection of Pea Seed-Borne Mosaic Virus in Leaves and Seeds of Pisum sativum. R. I. Hamilton, Research Scientist, Research Station, Agriculture Canada, 6660 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V6T 1X2; C. Nichols, Technician Research Station, Agriculture Canada, 6660 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V6T 1X2. Phytopathology 68:539-543. Accepted for publication 30 September 1977. Copyright © 1978 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-68-539.

Immunodiffusion in gels containing 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serologically specific electron microscopy (SSEM) were evaluated for the detection of pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) in pea tissues. The virus was detected readily by immunodiffusion of leaf homogenates from single infected plants but not in homogenates from composite samples containing less than 25% PSbMV-infected leaves. In contrast, detection of PSbMV in composite samples of leaves containing 5-10% PSbMV-infected leaves was obtained using ELISA or SSEM. Each of these latter methods also detected the virus in homogenates of seed from a seedlot containing 25% infected seed; levels of 1% seed infection were detected consistently by SSEM. The application of these methods for the detection of PSbMV in breeding programs is discussed.