Six viruses identified in potato plants grown in Alabama, USA

A survey was conducted for virus-infected potato plants in commercial produ ction fields in Baldwin, Cullman, DeKalb, and Jackson counties in Alabama. Infected plants were assessed visually, i.e., on the basis of occurrence of virus-like symptoms, and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In 1997, potato plants were tested for Cucumber mosaic vines (CMV), Potato vir us Y (PVY) and Tobacco etch virus (TEV). PVY was detected from foliar sampl es collected from Baldwin, Cullman, and Jackson counties. Neither CMV nor T EV were detected in any of the samples. In 1998, potato plants were once ag ain tested for the presence of CMV, PVY, and TEV, with additional analyses for Potato viruse A (PVA), Potato M (PVM), Potato S (PVS), Potato X (PVX), and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV). Four viruses were detected from potato le af samples collected from Baldwin County: PVS, PVX, PVY, and PLRV. Samples collected from DeKalb and Jackson counties were shown to be infected with C MV, PVA, PVS, PVX, and PVY. Identification of virus infection based on visu al assessment was relatively inconsistent with the exception of PLRV-infect ed potato plants, which had upward curled leaves. The expression of infecti on by PVA, PVS, PVX, and PVY varied; some infected potato plants were sympt omless while others had reddening of leaves that sometimes included a mild mosaic. This is the first report to identify viruses in commercially-grown potato plants in Alabama.