Viral complexes detected in garlic by ELISA and confirmed by RT-PCR/Deteccion de complejos virales en ajo por ELISA y confirmados por RT-PCR/Deteccao de complexos virais no alho por ELISA e confirmados por RT-PCR

The aim of this study was to detect viruses present either as single viruses or viral complexes in garlic plants by ELISA, and to confirm it by RT-PCR. Twelve selected garlic ecotypes were evaluated. The presence of LYSV, OYDV, SLV, GCLV and IYSV at 71, 120 and 147 days after planting was detected by ELISA and confirmatory analyses by RT-PCR were carried out. By serology, the virus frequencies were: LYSV with 100, 100 and 100%; OYDV with 50, 75 and 78%; SLV with 19, 31 and 0%; GCLV with 100, 97 and 92%; and finally, IYSV with 0, 3 and 22%, at 71, 120 and 147 days after planting, respectively. The viruses detected by RT-PCR were LYSV 55.5%, OYDV 66.6%, SLV 100.0%, GCLV 55.5% and IYSV 77.7%. Out of the samples analyzed by RT-PCR, 30.7% were negative and 69.3% had a viral complex, from three to four viruses. Detected viruses occurred in 55.5% of the samples as complexes of four viruses and 44.4% as complexes of three viruses. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of viral complexes formed by up to four viruses belonging to the genus potyvirus-carlavirus-tospovirus.