Iris yellow spot tospovirus
A new tospovirus of iris and onions

Why: This newly characterized tospovirus came to our attention as it has been reported in several countries on onion, leek and iris crops.

Where:
EPPO region: France (found in 3 leek samples), Germany (found on onion in 2007, under eradication), Israel, Netherlands (incidental findings on onion, leek, Eustoma, Iris and Alstroemeria), Slovenia (reported in 2002 on leek, onion and weeds), Spain (leek and onion), United Kingdom (found on glasshouse Eustoma in 2007, under eradication).
Asia: India, Iran, Japan.
Africa: Réunion, South Africa.
North America: Canada (found on onion in Ontario), USA (first in 2001 on onions in Colorado, now also found in Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington).
South America: Brazil, Chile, Peru.
Oceania: Australia (New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria).

View a distribution map

On which plants: Allium cepa (onion) and A. porrum (leek). The virus has occasionally been found on Alstroemeria, Eustoma grandiflorum (lisianthus), Iris hollandica, and Hippeastrum. The experimental host range is narrow (Nicotiana benthamiana, Datura stramonium).

Damage: On iris, symptoms are characterized by chlorotic spots which later developed into yellow and necrotic spots. Affected onion plants show numerous eyelike spots on the leaves and flower stalks resulting in flower abortion. It is noted that the economic impact of iris yellow spot tospovirus in iris and leek is low in the Netherlands but this is not the case in Brazil on onion, as up to 100% loss has been observed in onion fields.

Transmission: Thrips tabaci can transmit the virus (but Frankliniella schultzei and F. occidentalis are not vectors). Studies recently showed that onion bulbs and seeds did not transmit the virus to progeny. Further studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology of the disease in the field.

Pathway: Plants for planting?, cut flowers ? vegetables?, viruliferous thrips.

Possible risks: Iris are grown in many countries and onions are widely grown in the EPPO region. The thrips vector (Thrips tabaci) is widespread. More data is needed on the epidemiology of the disease and its host range (can other important monocotyledonous crops be infected?).

Source(s)
Annual Report 1997, Diagnostic Centre, Plant Protection Service, Wageningen (NL), 118-119.
Cortês, I.; Livieratos, I.C.; Derks, A.; Peters, D.; Kormelink, R. (1998) Molecular and serological characterization of iris yellow spot virus, a new and distinct tospovirus species. Phytopathology, 88(12), 1276-1282.
Anonymous (2007) Incidencia de plagas y enfermedades en las Comunidades Autónomas en 2006. Phytoma-España no. 187, 19-52 and no. 188, 16-56.
Coutts, B.A. ; McMichael, L.A. ; Tesoriero, L. ; Rodoni, B.C. Wilson, C.R. ; Wilson, A.J. ; Persley, D.M. ; Jones, R.A.C. (2003) Iris yellow spot virus found infecting onions in three Australian states. Australasian Plant Pathology, 32(4), 555-557.
Córdoba-Sellés C, Cebrián-Mico, Alfaro-Fernández A, Muñoz-Yerbes MJ, Jordá-Gutiérrez C (2007) First report of Iris yellow spot virus in commercial leek (Allium porrum) in Spain. Plant Disease 91(10), p 1365.
Córdoba-Sellés C, Martínez-Priego L, Muñoz-Gómez R, Jordá-Guttiérrez C (2005) Iris yellow spot virus: a new onion disease in Spain. Plant Disease 89(11), p 1243.
Creamer R, Sanogo S, Moya A, Romero J, Molina-Bravo R, Cramer C (2004) Iris yellow spot virus on onion in New Mexico. Plant Disease, 88(9), p 1049.
du Toit LJ, Burger JT, McLeod A, Engelbrecht M, Viljoen A (2007) Iris yellow spot virus in onion seed crops in South Africa. Plant Disease 91(9), p 1203.
du Toit, L.J.; Pappu, H.R. ; Druffel, K.L., Pelter, G.Q. (2004) Iris yellow spot virus in onion bulb and seed crops in Washington. Plant Disease, 8(2), p 222.
Gent, D.H.; Schwartz, H.F.; Khosla, R. (2004) Distribution and incidence of Iris yellow spot virus in Colorado and its relation to onion plant population and yield. Plant Disease, 88(5), 446-452.
Gent DH, Martin RR, Ocamb CM (2007) First report of Iris yellow spot virus on onion and leek in Western Oregon. Plant Disease 91(4), p 468.
Gera, A.; Kritzman, A.; Cohen, J.; Raccah, B.; Antignus, Y. (2000) Tospoviruses infecting vegetable crops in Israel. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin, 30(2), 289-292.
Hoepting CA, Schwartz HF, Pappu HR (2007) First report of Iris yellow spot virus on onion in New York. Plant Disease 91(3), p 327.
Hoepting CA, Allen JK, Vanderkooi DK, Hovius MY, Fuchs MF, Pappu HR, McDonald MR (2008) First report of Iris yellow spot virus on onion in Canada. Plant Disease 92(2), p 318.
Kritzman, A.; Beckleman, H.; Alexandrow, S.; Cohen, J.; Lampel, M.; Zeidan, M.; Raccah, B.; Gera, A. (2000) Lisianthus leaf necrosis: a new disease of lisianthus caused by iris yellow spot virus. Plant Disease, 84(11), 1185-1189.
Kritzman, A.; Lampel, M.; Raccah, B.; Gera, A. (2001) Distribution and transmission of Iris yellow spot virus. Plant Disease, 85(8), 838-842.
Miller ME, Saldana RR, Black MC, Pappu HR (2006) First report of Iris yellow spot virus on onion (Allium cepa) in Texas. Plant Disease 90(10), p 1359.
Mullis SW, Gitaitis RD, Nischwitz C, Csinos AS, Rafael Mallaupoma ZC, Inguil Rojas EH (2006) First report of onion (Allium cepa) naturally infected with Iris yellow spot virus in Peru. Plant Disease 9 (3), p 377.
Mullis SW, Langston Jr DB, Gitaitis RD, Sherwood JL, Csinos AC, Riley DG, Sparks AN, Torrance RL, Cook MJ (2004) First report of Vidalia onion (Allium cepa) naturally infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus and Iris yellow spot virus (Family Bunyaviridae, Genus Tospovirus) in Georgia. Plant Disease, 88(11), p 1285.
Mumford RA, Glover R, Daly M, Nixon T, Harju V, Skelton A (2008) Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV)infecting Lisanthus (Eutoma grandiflorum) in the UK: first finding and detection by real-time PCR. New Disease Report volume 16 (August 2007-January 2008). http://www.bspp.org.uk/ndr/jan2008/2007-105.asp
Murai, T. (2004) Current status of the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, as pest thrips in Japan. Agrochemicals Japan, no. 84, 7-10.
Nagata, T.; Almeida, A.C.L.; Resende, R. de O.; de Avila, A.C.; (1999) The identification of the vector species of iris yellow spot tospovirus occurring on onion in Brazil. Plant Disease, 83(4), p 399.
Nischwitz C, Pappu HR, Mullis SW, Sparks AN, Langston DR, Csinos AS, Gitaitis RD (2007) Phylogenetic analysis of Iris yellow spot virus isolates from onion (Allium cepa) in Georgia (USA) and Peru. Journal of Phytopathology 155(9), 531-535
NPPO of France, 2006-08.
NPPO of the Netherlands, 2007-01, 2008-03.
NPPO of Slovenia, 2002-05.
Pappu HR, Hellier BC, Dugan FM (2006) Wild Allium spp. as natural hosts of Iris yellow spot virus. Plant Disease 90(3), p 378.
Personal communication with Dr R. Jones, CSIRO, 2004.
Pozzer, L.; Bezerra, I.C.; Kormelink, R.; Prins, M.; Peters, D.; Resende, R. de O.; de Avila, A.C. (1999) Characterization of a tospovirus isolate of iris yellow spot virus associated with a disease in onion fields, in Brazil. Plant Disease, 83(4), 345-350.
Ravi KS, Kitkaru AS, Winter S (2005) Iris yellow spot virus in onions: a new tospovirus record from India. New Disease Reports, Volume 11: February 2005 - July 2005. http://www.bspp.org.uk/ndr/july2005/2005-32.asp
Robène-Soustrade I, Hostachy B, Roux-Cuvelier M, Minatchy J, Hédont M, Pallas R, Couteau A, Cassam N, Wuster G (2005) First report of Iris yellow spot virus in onion bulb and seed production fields in Réunion island. New Disease Reports, Volume 11: February 2005 - July 2005. http://www.bspp.org.uk/ndr/july2005/2005-33.asp
Rosales M, Pappu HR, López L, Mora R, Aljaro A (2005) Iris yellow spot virus in onion in Chile. Plant Disease 89(11), p 1243.
Shahraeen, N.; Ghotbi, T. (2003) Natural occurrence of different Tospovirus species infecting ornamentals and other agricultural crops in Iran (Abstract 23.26 of a paper presented at the 8th International Congress of Plant Pathology, Christchurch, New Zealand (2003-02-02/07).
Schwartz, H.F.; Brown, W.M. Jr; Blunt, T.; Gent, D.H. (2002) Iris yellow spot virus on onion in Colorado. Plant Disease, 86(5), p 560.
INTERNET (last retrieved in 2008-03)
Website of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Pest record. Finding of Iris yellow spot virus in the Netherlands in 2007. http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_pageid=116,1640321&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_file_id=26184

EPPO RS 99/128, 2001/052, 2001/085, 2001/202, 2002/081, 2002/100, 2003/041, 2004/022, 2004/110, 2004/118, 2004/160, 2005/017, 2005/040, 2005/041, 2005/041, 2005/0142, 2006/076, 2006/079, 2006/141, 2007/008, 2007/056, 2007/137, 2007/187, 2007/210, 2008/032, 2008/033, 2008/034, 2008/062, 2008/081

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