Distribution, Incidence, and Strains of Viruses in Burley Tobacco in North Carolina. G. V. Gooding, JR., Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695. R. C. Rufty, Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695. Plant Dis. 71:38-40. Accepted for publication 10 September 1986. Copyright 1987 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-71-0038.

Burley tobacco fields were surveyed for viruses in five counties in North Carolina in 1984. Data were recorded from about 800 plants (x) in each of 10 fields in each county. Virus incidence based on the approximately 40,000 plants observed was 25.7% for tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV), 7.1% for tobacco etch virus (TEV), 0.2% for alfalfa mosaic virus, 0.1% for tobacco ringspot virus, <0.1% for tobacco streak virus (TSV), <0.01% for potato virus Y (PVY), and <0.01% for peanut stunt virus. Viruses except PVY and TSV occurred in all areas in the burley production region. TVMV existed as a single strain, based on symptoms induced on the differential tobacco germ plasm, but TEV isolates were differentiated into mild, moderate, and severe strains.