Tobacco Mosaic Virus Inoculum Increase in Tobacco Infected at Flower Removal. J. P. Krausz, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, SC 29503. B. A. Fortnum, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, SC 29503, and O. W. Barnett, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. Plant Dis. 70:1098-1100. Accepted for publication 8 April 1986. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-70-1098.

The transmission of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) during flower removal (topping) in tobacco and the subsequent translocation of the virus to the roots of infected plants was demonstrated using ELISA and plant bioassay techniques. The use of axillary bud (sucker) inhibitors (long-chain aliphatic alcohols and maleic hydrazide) obscured the symptoms of TMV infection in plants inoculated during topping. Infection of tobacco roots after transmission of TMV at topping provides a potential for tremendous proliferation of inoculum sources for the next year’s crop.