Occurrence and transmission of sowbane mosaic virus in seed from naturally infected plants of spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Sowbane mosaic virus was isolated as a single infectious component from seedlings and seeds from a seed-lot of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) propagated in Hungary, and was identified by experimental host-range, thermal-inactivation point, dilution end-point, electron microscopy and serology.Chenopodium quinoa was more susceptible and/or sensitive to infection thanC. amaranticolor and was a better indicator host, butC. amaranticolor is of diagnostic value. This is the first report on natural infection of spinach by the virus and on its natural seed-transmission in spinach. Growing-on tests on whole seeds and infectivity tests on separate embryos and seed-coats showed that over 30% of the seeds' embryos were infected and c. 80% of the seed-coats contained the virus. The incidence of infection in the spinach crop from which the seed was obtained must have been high.