Threat of <i>Turnip mosaic virus</i> strains to rare and endangered native <i>Lepidium</i> spp in the South Island New Zealand

Abstract

Cooks scurvy grass (Lepidium oleraceum agg) is an endangered species of native Brassicaceae that is considered threatened by extinction Viruslike disease symptoms were observed in a newly introduced plant of L oleraceum at Stony Bay Banks Peninsula Canterbury New Zealand in 2008 Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) was subsequently confirmed as the cause of symptoms A survey was undertaken at seven isolated South Island sites where L oleraceum and other Lepidium species were growing TuMV was detected in around 20 of plants at two sites Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) was also detected at three sites with up to 50 incidence at one site and there was some evidence of a Beet western yellows virus (BWYV) infection Further isolates of TuMV were also collected from commercial brassica crops in the South Island RT PCR products for all of the virusinfected plant material were sequenced analysed phylogenetically and compared This poster reports on survey results and the comparative phylogenetic analysis of the TuMV isolates