Prevalence and molecular diversity of the main viruses infecting cucurbit and solanaceous crops in Azerbaijan

Two surveys were conducted in September 2014 and July 2015 in important vegetable-growing areas in Azerbaijan. Cucurbit and solanaceous plants exhibiting symptoms of mosaic, yellowing, leaf curl or necrosis were collected and tested serologically and molecularly for the presence of the major viruses infecting these crops. For cucurbits, the most common viruses in both sampling sets were aphid-transmitted ones, including potyviruses (watermelon mosaic virus, WMV, zucchini yellow mosaic virus, ZYMV), cucumoviruses (cucumber mosaic virus, CMV) and poleroviruses (cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus, CABYV). Eggplant mottled dwarf (EMDV) was also detected for the first time in Azerbaijan on cucumber at a low prevalence. In solanaceous crops, CMV was the most common virus detected, followed by potato virus Y (PVY). Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and tobamoviruses (tomato mosaic virus (TMV), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV)) were also detected in 2015. The begomovirus tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) was present on tomato only in the Absheron area, where it had a high prevalence and induced important losses. TYLCV-like symptoms on tomato in other areas of Azerbaijan were due to phytoplasma diseases.