Mineral Oil Inhibits Movement of Potato Virus Y in Potato Plants in an Age-Dependent Manner

Potato Virus Y (PVY) is one of the most devastating pathogens threatening potato production worldwide. It is a RNA virus that is disseminated by aphids in a non-persistent manner. Regular application of mineral oil on potato fields is known to reduce the number of PVY-positive tubers in post-harvest testing. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not well understood, but it is hypothesized to influence the virus-vector-plant relationships. Here, we present data from greenhouse and field trials that shed light on the effect of mineral oil on local and systemic accumulation of PVY O in susceptible Shepody and Russet Burbank. The data suggests that mineral oil did not influence PVY O levels in mechanically-inoculated leaves nor tubers of plants with a secondary infection. However, a reduction in systemic PVY O levels was observed in mineral oil-treated older plants but not in younger plants, suggesting that mineral oil inhibits PVY O movement in an age-dependent manner.