IPOMOEA CRINKLE LEAF CURL CAUSED BY A WHITEFLY-TRANSMITTED GEMINI-LIKE VIRUS

A whitefly-transmitted infectious agent, associated with geminate part icles, induced distinct symptoms on several Ipomoea species, but not o n I. batatas cv. Georgia Jet. The virus was transmitted by Bemisia arg entifolii in a persistent manner and by grafting, but not mechanically . No transmission to species outside Ipomoea was obtained. Extracts fr om infected Ipomoea plants hybridised with a bean yellow mosaic virus riboprobe and a tomato yellow leaf curl virus riboprobe, although not so strongly as hybridisation of these riboprobes with extracts from pl ants infected with the homologous viruses. Based on host range, we con sider this virus to be distinct from sweet potato leaf curl virus repo rted from the Far East, and propose it be named ''Ipomoea crinkle leaf curl virus'' (ICLCV).