Virus diseases of vegetable crops in southern Bulgaria

Virus diseases of vegetable crops (mainly tomato, cucumber, pepper and phaseolus bean) were surveyed in 1999 in south-eastern Bulgaria. The most widespread viruses were Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Pepper mild mottle virus 1.2 (PMMV 1.2) for pepper; ToMV, CMV and Tomato spotted wilt virus for tomato; CMV for cucumber; Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) for bean. Using differential cultivars as well as ELISA and PCR, the viruses were classified into pathotypes, strains and subgroups. The CMV isolates were of subgroup I, I? and II. The BCMV isolates were identified as temperature-dependent necrotic strains. Bean common mosaic necrosis virus was found in only two samples. PMMV 1.2 was detected in pepper. Clover yellow vein virus in bean and Cucumber leaf spot virus in cucumber are here reported for the first time in Bulgaria. A cucumovirus, different from CMV, was detected in bean. Two unidentified viruses (one with capillovirus-like particles from pepper, and one with 30 nm spherical particles from cucumber) are currently under investigation.