Disease Note.

Occurrence of Tomato Mottle Geminivirus in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. J. E. Polston, University of Florida, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Bradenton 34203 . D. Bois, University of Florida, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Bradenton 34203, A. P. Keinath, Clemson University, Coastal Research and Education Center, 2865 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, S.C. 29414, and D. O. Chellemi, University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center, Rt. 3, Box 4370, Quincy 32351. Plant Dis. 79:539 References: (1) J E. Polston el al Plant Dis. 77:1181, 1993. (2) M. R. Rojas et al Plant Dis. 77:340, 1993. Accepted for publication 11 April 1995. Copyright 1995 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-79-0539B.

Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) with symptoms of plant stunting, chlorotic mottling, distortion and curling of leaves were seen in 1994 in South Carolina (Charleston County), Tennessee (Bledsoe and Rhea Counties), and Virginia (Northhampton County). Incidences of symptomatic plants varied from farm to farm but were as high as 100%. Symptomatic plants occurred in association with populations of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Samples were collected from fourteen plants in July and August from South Carolina, seven plants in September from Tennessee and two plants in July from Virginia. DNA extracts of all samples hybridized to tomato mottle geminivirus (ToMoV) B DNA in a nucleic spot hybridization assay under high stringency conditions (1). In addition, DNA extracted from these samples was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers for both A (PALvl978 and PARlc496) and B (PBLlv2040 and PCRcl) geminiviral DNA components (2) and produced DNA fragments of approximately 1,100 bp and 600 bp, respectively. Restriction analysis of these DNA fragments with restriction endonucleases (AluI, EcoRI, SacI for component A fragment AluI, EcoRI, and Pst\ for component B fragment) were in all cases typical of those expected of ToMoV. This is the first report of ToMoV outside the state of Florida.