Researchers Identify Cause of Watermelon Vine Decline

Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) have identified the organism that causes the disease called watermelon vine decline (WVD). WVD, first seen in Florida in 2003, causes an estimated annual yield loss of $25 to $ 50 million dollars. Yield losses totaled to more than $60 million in 2005. Symptoms of the disease include necrosis or browning of the fruit rind, rapid vine collapse and death just before harvest.

Led by Scott Adkins, the group determined that the novel ipomovirus, squash vein yellowing virus, is the WVD causel agent. The squash vein yellowing virus was found to be limited to the Cucurbitaceae family, with the most dramatic symptoms occurring on squash and watermelon. WVD is transmitted from plants to plants by the silverleaf whitefly. So far, WVD has been limited to Florida, but growers fear that it may spread to any place that watermelon is commercially grown. Screening of watermelon germplasm for resistance to squash vein yellowing virus in greenhouse trials yielded promising results.

Read more at http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261