INFECTION OF TOMATO SEED BY DIFFERENT STRAINS OF TOBACCO MOSAIC-VIRUS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE SYMPTOMLESS MUTANT MII-16

Eight different strains of TMV were used to inoculate tomato plants when the first truss was in flower. The proportion of the seeds infected by TMV was highest with the enation strain followed by tomato and winter necrosis strains. The other strains, viz. yellow ringspot, yellow mosaic, crusty fruit and tobacco strains and the symptomless mutant MII-16, either resulted in a low proportion of seeds with TMV or none at all. MII-16-inoculated plants consistently gave the lowest proportion of TMV-infected seeds. The possibility of using this strain to produce virus-free seeds is discussed. © 1979 Koninklijke Nederlandse Planteziektenkundige Vereniging.