Survey of Viruses Present in Radish Fields in 2014

A 2014 nationwide survey in radish fields investigated the distribution of common viruses and possible emerging viruses. Radish leaves with virus-like symptoms were collected and 108 samples assayed by RT-PCR using specific primers for Radish mosaic virus (RaMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV); 47 samples were TuMV positive, and RaMV and CMV were detected in 3 and 2 samples, respectively. No samples showed double infection of TuMV/RaMV, or RaMV/CMV, but two double infections of TuMV/CMV were detected. TuMV isolates were sorted by symptom severity, and three isolates (R007-mild; R041 and R065-severe) selected for BLAST and phylogenetic analysis, which indicated that the coat protein (CP) of these isolates (R007, R041, and R065) have approx. 98-99% homology to a previously reported TuMV isolate. RaMV CP showed approx. 99% homology to a previously reported isolate, and the CMV CP is identical to a previously reported Korean isolate (GenBank : GU327368). Three isolates of TuMV showing different pathogenicity (degree of symptom severity) will be valuable to study determinants of pathogenicity.