A Severe Outbreak of Potato Virus Y in Chilean Tobacco. B. A. Latorre, Departmento de Sanidad Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. O. Andrade, E. Peñaloza, and O. Escaffi, Departmento de Sanidad Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. Plant Dis. 66:893-895. Accepted for publication 18 January 1982. Copyright 1982 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-66-893.

Potato virus Y was identified as the causal agent of the necrosis severa that has severely affected tobacco production in the Aconcagua Valley of Chile the past three growing seasons. The disease is widely spread in the valley except in areas where no other susceptible crops are cultivated. An average yield reduction of 34% due to necrosis severa in 1979–1980 was estimated from data for 73 fields totaling 274.8 ha. Highly affected plantings showed a 57.9% loss; those with a low incidence of necrosis severa had 13.4% yield reduction. Because of the symptomatology, we suspect that mild nonnecrotic and necrotic strains of potato virus Y were involved.

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