Dasheen Mosaic Virus Infection of Dieffenbachia Cultivars. A. R. Chase, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Center, Apopka, FL 32703. F. W. Zettler, Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611. Plant Dis. 66:891-893. Accepted for publication 18 January 1982. Copyright 1982 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-66-891.

Symptoms of dasheen mosaic virus infection were found in nine of 14 dieffenbachia cultivars surveyed in 20 nurseries. Dieffenbachia maculata ‘Perfection’ plants showed the most conspicuous symptoms, whereas Dieffenbachia × memoria-Corsii and Dieffenbachia × Bausei exhibited no symptoms. Manual inoculations of virus-free plants resulted in three general reactions: moderate acute phase followed by rapid recovery and a chronic phase of periodic expression of moderate to severe symptoms (Perfection); severe acute reaction, slow recovery, and a mild chronic phase (Rudolph Roehrs and D. amoena); and severe acute reaction resulting in plant death (memoria-Corsii and Bausei). The standard practice of shoot cutting for propagation did not have any discernible effect on symptom expression in Perfection stock plants. Immune electron microscopy assay of asymptomatic, infected leaf tissue revealed virus particles in only one of six samples. Results indicated that control of dasheen mosaic virus is necessary primarily in the cultivar Perfection and is dependent upon use and maintenance of virus-free plants.

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