Sustainable disease control using weeds as indicators: Capsella bursa-pastoris and Tobacco Rattle Virus

• Published in: Weed research Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 511 - 514
• Main Authors: IANNETTA, P P M, BEGG, G S, VALENTINE, T A, WISHART, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2010; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: baits; Biological and medical sciences; biological resistance; Capsella; Capsella bursa-pastoris; crop damage; Crop protection; Crops; Disease control; disease outbreaks; Ecotypes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herbicides; Indicator species; Infection; nematicides; nematode; Parasitic plants. Weeds; Pathogens; pesticide application; Pesticides; Petunia; Petunia hybrida; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; plant protection; Polymerase chain reaction; potatoes; qRT-PCR; quantitative analysis; shepherd's purse; Soil; Solanum tuberosum; Sustainable development; Tobacco; Tobacco Rattle Virus; Tubers; virus; viruses; Weed control; Weeds; Tobacco Rattle Virus; nematode; Weed; Use; qRT-PCR; Indicator; Virus; shepherd's purse; Capsella bursa-pastoris; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Weed science; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
• ISSN: 0043-1737; 1365-3180
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2010.00816.x

Iannetta PPM, Begg GS, Valentine TA & Wishart J (2010). Sustainable disease control using weeds as indicators: Capsella bursa‐pastoris and Tobacco Rattle Virus. Weed Research 50, 511–514. Summary Arable weeds are believed to sustain disease outbreaks of the potato crop pathogen Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV), which is particularly well‐known for the costly damage it may cause to potato tubers. We describe a TRV‐specific TaqMan™ based molecular‐diagnostic quantitative RT‐PCR method which showed that ecotypes of the widespread and common weed Capsella bursa‐pastoris (shepherd’s purse) are highly susceptible to TRV infection and may be suitable as indicator species of TRV presence in situ. Soils from two sites (S1 and S2), previously diagnosed as harbouring high levels of TRV, were the subjects of infection tests using C. bursa‐pastoris and the susceptible model bait species Petunia x hybrida. TRV infection was only detected in all S1‐soil, but in none of the plants grown in S2‐soil. S1 soil had been treated annually with nematicide and herbicide, whilst continuing to cultivate TRV susceptible crops. S2 soil had been farmed for 5 years without the application of synthetic pesticides according to organic standards and had been sown with non‐TRV susceptible crops in three out of the 5 years of the rotation. Our observations led us to question the current recommendations that: ‘Weed control is important. Organic practices and set‐aside may facilitate the re‐introduction of TRV and/or the increase the distribution of the virus within a field ’. We suggest that more effective and less environmentally damaging crop protection can be achieved using rotations that employ non‐susceptible crops, in concert with management strategies that encourage crop‐weed co‐existence.