Seed Transmission of an Indian Isolate of Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infecting Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

Chilli (Capsicum annuum. L) is an economically valuable spice crop worldwide and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is the major constraint for its production. To study its seed transmissibility nature, the chilli seedlings were sap-inoculated with CMV isolate (CMV-TSWA) from Warangal district, Telangana and raised under insect proof glasshouse condition until seed production. The CMV-infected plants developed mosaic, mottling, deformation, systemic infection, stunted appearance, delayed flower formation, deformed fruit production and reduced seed production compared to uninfected healthy plants. The virus was detected in the leaves, flowers, green fruit, dry pericarp and seeds of sap-inoculated chilli plants by DAC-ELISA and the percentage of detection was 83.33% in leaves, 46.66% in flowers, 20% in fruits, 16.66% in pericarp of dried chilli and 13.33% in seeds. Seedlings emerged from the infected seeds initially showed mottling and wrinkling of leaves, which further intensified as leaf deformation and stunted appearance compared to healthy ones, and the presence of CMV was confirmed by DAC-ELISA. CMV is seed-borne in chilli and transmitted from seed to seedlings and the rate of transmission was 9% as determined by grow-out test and DAC-ELISA.