Evaluation of disinfectants to prevent mechanical transmission of viruses and a viroid in greenhouse tomato production

Abstract

BackgroundIn recent years, a number of serious disease outbreaks caused by viruses and viroids on greenhouse tomatoes in North America have resulted in significant economic losses to growers. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial disinfectants against mechanical transmission of these pathogens, and to select disinfectants with broad spectrum reactivity to control general virus and viroid diseases in greenhouse tomato production.MethodsA total of 16 disinfectants were evaluated against Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The efficacy of each disinfectant to deactivate the pathogen’s infectivity was evaluated in replicate experiments from at least three independent experiments. Any infectivity that remained in the treated solutions was assessed through bioassays on susceptible tomato plants through mechanical inoculation using inocula that had been exposed with the individual disinfectant for three short time periods (0–10 sec, 30 sec and 60 sec). A positive infection on the inoculated plant was determined through symptom observation and confirmed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PepMV, ToMV, and TMV) and real-time reverse transcription-PCR (PSTVd). Experimental data were analyzed using Logistic regression and the Bayesian methodology.ResultsStatistical analyses using logistic regression and the Bayesian methodology indicated that two disinfectants (2% Virkon S and 10% Clorox regular bleach) were the most effective to prevent transmission of PepMV, PSTVd, ToMV, and TMV from mechanical inoculation. Lysol all-purpose cleaner (50%) and nonfat dry milk (20%) were also effective against ToMV and TMV, but with only partial effects for PepMV and PSTVd.ConclusionWith the broad spectrum efficacy against three common viruses and a viroid, several disinfectants, including 2% Virkon S, 10% Clorox regular bleach and 20% nonfat dry milk, are recommend to greenhouse facilities for consideration to prevent general virus and viroid infection on tomato plants.

Paths of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus disease spread and disinfectant‐based management

“…A lower efficiency in inactivating CGMMV, shown in seedling inoculation studies, was obtained with Virkon S and the efficiency in disinfecting grafting knives was not high as well (Table 1; Figure 2). Unlike our results, Virkon S was reported as an efficient disinfectant for disease spread by the tobamoviruses tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) (Li et al, 2015). Interestingly, active oxygen (Huwa‐San) 1% solution was highly efficient in disinfecting sowing trays (Table 3) but was insufficient as a disinfectant of grafting knives and in CGMMV inactivation assays (Figure 2; Table 1).…”

Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) Biology, Management, and Relevance to GM Plant Detection for Sustainable Organic Agriculture

“…It has been shown that CaMV can stay for hours on surfaces such as doors, phones, and gloves, and can be exchanged by hand-shaking (Jiang et al, 1998;Dancer, 2014), so disinfecting tools, equipment, and anything that contacts plants will reduce infection. Though it did not include CaMV, a study that tested how to prevent propagation of plant viruses, such as Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), examined sixteen commercially available disinfectants and found that 10% bleach is the most effective solution for preventing viral infection of plants in greenhouse facilities (Li et al, 2015).…”

Low root‐to‐root transmission of a tobamovirus, yellow tailflower mild mottle virus, and resilience of its virions

“…Virion viability experiments revealed that like other tobamoviruses, YTMMV virions are highly resilient. Dried leaf tissue harboured infectious virions for at least 1 year at ambient temperatures, −80 and 22 ° C. Treatment with milk solution and NaOH solution, both compounds previously described as being effective for decontaminating tools of tobamoviruses (Nitzany, ; Hu et al ., ; Kamenova & Adkins, ; Lewandowski et al ., ; Li et al ., ), were largely ineffective for YTMMV. Dry heating of infected leaf materials was an effective phytosanitary measure, but only after exposure to 160 ° C for 5 days.…”

“…Both 0.1 m NaOH and 20% w/v skimmed milk were ineffective at decontaminating YTMMV‐infected tools when incubated for 30 min. Milk treatment was reported to completely inactivate hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV) (Kamenova & Adkins, ), TMV (Lewandowski et al ., ; Li et al ., ) and ToMV (Li et al ., ), but was ineffective in some cases with TMV (Crowley, ; Denby & Wilks, ). Milk contains casein and whey, proteins that inactivate virions (Hagborg & Chelack, ).…”

“…Sodium hydroxide, milk and detergents are reported as inactivators of tobamoviruses (Nitzany, ; Hu et al ., ; Lewandowski et al ., ; Li et al ., ). To investigate the effects of these inactivation agents, 500 mg of viruliferous N. benthamiana RA‐4 leaves were ground and incubated with either 0.1 m NaOH or 20% w/v skimmed milk for 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 min (Table ).…”