Detection of Natural Susceptible Host Plants of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) in Syrian Coastal Region

Abstract

During 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, field surveys conducted on the sites studied in this research revealed a diversity of weeds present in tomato-cultivated greenhouses along the Syrian coastal region. It was also observed that many farmers grow additional types of vegetables through intercropping within greenhouses originally planted with tomatoes.

DAS-ELISA results of the examined weed samples showed that 6 out of the 19 tested species were naturally infected with ToBRFV. These infected species were: Daucus carota L., Chenopodium hybridum L., Mercurialis annua L., Convulvules arvensis L., Solanum nigrum L., and Tribulus terrestis L..

Furthermore, serological tests results of some cultivated plant samples revealed that pepper Capsicum annum L. were naturally infected with the studied virus, out of six tested cultivated plant species. On the other hand, virus infection didn’t occurred on any of the following species: eggplant Solanum melongena L., potato Solanum tuberosum L., bean Phaseolus vulgaris L., cucumber Cucumis sativus L. and squash  Cucurbita pepo L.

For our knowledge, this is the first report of Daucus carota L., Mercurialis annua L. and Tribulus terrestis L. as a newly natural host of ToBRFV by the world.