Plant Disease Research

The potato growing areas in different districts of the Punjab state were surveyed periodically during 2006–07. Leaf roll, mild mosaic, severe mosaic, crinkling, mottling, mosaic with wavy margins and mixed type of symptoms were observed during survey. On the basis of symptoms, these were categorized into seven groups and designated as PV-1 to PV-7. All these groups were tested on to four different indicator plants namely, Chenopodium amaranticolor, Nicotiana tabacum, Gomphrena globosa and Physalis floridana. These indicator plants were also used to study the physical properties of these virus groups. On the basis of physical properties, indicator plants and mechanical transmission tests, the viruses causing different type of symptoms on potato plants were identified as PLRV, PVX, PVY, PVM, PVA and PVS. The results were further confirmed by performing serological studies using polyclonal antibodies of different viruses.