Description

Abstract: In 1990, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plants with symptoms of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were observed in several peanut fields in Virginia in the city of Suffolk and in the counties of Isle of Wight, Sussex, and Dinwiddie. Virus identification was confirmed by standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Symptoms were observed in several peanut cultivars and breeding lines. Foliar symptoms ranged from bud leaflet distortion and necrosis, to leaflet chlorosis (characterized by distinct patterns) and necrosis, to stunted growth and premature death of plants. The most typical symptom of TSWV was a ring-spot pattern on infected leaflets. Infected plants were often scattered throughout a field, with one or two plants in a location showing symptoms and surrounding plants symptomless. This is the first confirmed report of TSWV on peanuts in Virginia.