Disease Note.

A Whitefly-Transmitted Geminivirus from Peppers with Tigré Disease. J. K. Brown, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721. O. P. Campodonico, and M. R. Nelson. Campo Agricola Experimental del Tamaulipas, INIFAP, Tamaulipas, Mexico; and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721. Plant Dis. 73:610. Accepted for publication 6 April 1989. Copyright 1989 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-73-0610E.

A whitefly-transmitted geminivirus was isolated from pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants affected by tigre (tiger) disease in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Tigre disease is a severe disorder of pepper commonly associated with whitefly infestations of commercial peppers grown in the region. The virus, tentatively designated here as pepper mild tigre virus (PMTV), caused bright yellow interveinal chlorosis, mild stunting, and fruit malformation in greenhouseinoculated chili peppers. The virus was transmissible by the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), but not by mechanical means. Typical geminivirus particles 20 X 30 nm were observed in partially purified preparations by transmission electron microscopy. The host range of PMTV includes Datura stramonium L., Nicotiana tabacum L. 'Xanthi,' pepper, and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Nonhosts are Cucumis melo L., C. sativus L., Cucurbita pepo L., Glycine max (L.) Merr., Gossypium hirsutum L., Lactuca sativa L., and Malva parvifl0ra L. This is the first report of a gemini virus associated with tigre-affected pepper plants and the first whitefly transmitted geminivirus that causes a definitive disease in field pepper.