Infective behaviour and aphid-transmissibility of Italian isolates of potato virus Y in tobacco and peppers

When mechanically inoculated to susceptible tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivars, nine isolates of PVY from Umbria (Central Italy) and two from Southern Latium gave rise to rapid systemic infection which developed within 6–8 days after inoculation. Systemic spread of the same isolates was slower, or much slower, in infected pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars, 8–14 days for Southern Latium isolates and 20 - 35 days for Umbrian ones. Aphid (Myzus persicae)-moculation of pepper and tobacco plants with two of the Umbrian and one of the Southern Latium isolates confirmed the results from sap-transmission and showed that fewer inoculated pepper plants become infected, especially with Umbrian isolates. In agreement with the data on systemic spread, aphid-acquisition trials indicated that tobacco plants became efficient PVY sources for vectors 6–8 days after inoculation with either group of isolates. Peppers became efficient acquisition hosts 8–15 days after inoculation with Southern Latium isolates but not until 22–45 days after inoculation with Umbrian ones. Southern Latium isolates induced more severe symptoms in pepper cultivars than Umbrian isolates did. One of the Southern Latium isolates was able to systemically infect the resistant pepper cv. Yolo Y, which was never infected by the Umbrian isolates. The Umbrian isolates tested seem to be better adapted to tobacco than peppers, while Southern Latium ones are well adapted to both.