Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet EditionWatermelon - Papaya ringspot virus (W) (392)
Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet EditionWatermelon - Papaya ringspot virus (W) (392)
Summary
- Worldwide distribution. In Oceania, Australia, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu. A virus of crops in the cucurbit family, and weeds.
- Damage: distortions, blisters and light and dark mosaic patterns on leaves; ring spots on the fruits merging into large dark green areas. Yields are reduced and appearance affects sales.
- Spread: aphids, and infected nursery plants. Aphids spread the virus quickly, but do not retain it for long.
- Cultural control: in nursery - check each seedling; in field - avoid overlapping crops; remove weeds and 'volunteers'; limit people entering fields; rogue disease plants; nets or floating covers; mulches to repel aphids; resistant varieties (zucchini); burn debris after harvest.
- Chemical control: insecticides not recommended, although frequent sprays of soap, white and horticultural oils may have potential.
Common Name
Papaya ringspot (virus-W)
Scientific Name
Papaya ringspot virus-W. Previously, it was known as Watermelon mosaic virus-1. However, tests using antisera showed that it was a strain of Papaya ringspot virus. The other strain is Papaya ringspot virus-P, which infects papaya and cucurbits (see Fact Sheet no. 194). Papaya ringspot virus-W does not infect papaya.
Note, a third virus, Watermelon mosaic virus, also infects watermelon and other cucurbits; this virus causes light and dark mottling on the leaves and a slight roughening of the skin of the fruit. It was previously known as Watermelon mosaic virus-2.
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson & Mani Mua
Information from Davis RI, Ruabete TK (2010) Records of plant pathogenic viruses and virus-like agents from 22 Pacific island countries and territories: a review and an update. Australasian Plant Pathology 39, 265-291; and Papaya ringspot virus. Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya_ringspot_virus); and from Diseases of vegetable crops in Australia (2010). Editors, Denis Persley, Tony Cooke, Susan House. CSIRO Publishing.
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project HORT/2016/18: Responding to emerging pest and disease threats to horticulture in the Pacific islands, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Pacific Community.
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