Effects of turnip mosaic virus and turnip yellow mosaic virus on the survival, growth and reproduction of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

摘要

A UK field experiment in which plants were inoculated either with turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) or turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) showed that virus infection significantly reduced survival, growth and reproduction of wild plants of B. oleracea. Relative to water inoculated-controls, plants infected with TYMV had greater mortality, were shorter, had a smaller leaf area and number, showed a greater amount of damage from herbivory and chlorosis, were less likely to flower and produced fewer pods and lower total seed output. Plants infected with TuMV did not appear to be adversely affected at first; however, mortality after 18 months was higher than control plants. Although TuMV infection had no effect on the number of plants flowering, the infected plants did produce fewer pods and a lower total seed output. It is concluded that both viruses can significantly affect vegetative and reproductive performance of wild cabbage and hence that introgression of virus resistance (particularly when conferred by a major gene or a transgene) from a crop might increase plant fitness in natural populations of this species.