Completed project
Improved management options for cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (VG15013)
Publication date: December 7, 2018
Delivery Partner: The Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Northern Territory
This project, which ran from 2016 to 2019, investigated how the cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) is spread in cucurbit production as well as alternative hosts for the virus and farm biosecurity protections that growers can implement. CGMMV was first detected in the Northern Territory in September 2014 and the key research areas of this project were to:
Key findings included…
CGMMV alternative hosts and non-hosts
Six crops were found to be non-hosts of the virus, providing potential alternative cropping options for growers: sweet corn, snake bean, capsicum, okra, sorghum and peanut.
Weed species common in these production areas were surveyed and then tested for the ability to host the virus. The following species were found to carry the virus: wild melon, wild luffa, amaranth, pigweed, black nightshade, fat hen, wild gooseberry and sabi grass. Further work is needed to find out if these weeds spread the virus to crops.
Understanding CGMMV spread in contaminated soil
Previous work in the NT showed that the virus could remain viable for 12 months without host plants, but in this project the researchers found shorter periods for infection. Seedlings transplanted into potting mix contaminated with CGMMV resulted in 11/100 plants becoming infected. When seeds were directly sown into the potting mix with CGMMV sap, it was found that CGMMV only remained infectious in soil up to 36 weeks. Damaged root systems seem to allow the virus to infect plants.
Improving CGMMV diagnostics for plant and seed
The team improved a field immunostrip test to effectively detect CGMMV, but other viruses can confuse the test. Laboratory testing is still required to be certain of infection.
Determine the importance of weeds, non-host plants and honeybees in disease spread
A variety of bee products were sampled and viable CGMMV was found in adult bees, pollen and honey. When specific hives were sampled repeatedly over time, only the honey remained infected with CGMMV.
The research team held grower meetings in affected areas, and developed grower resources in several languages.
Grower recommendations
This project was a strategic levy investment in the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.
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