2023 Volume 65 Pages 1-5
Yellow leaf curl disease of tomato caused by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV: a begomovirus) results in severe damage. In general, the virus is transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and difficult to inoculate mechanically to plants. As mechanical inoculation has numerous practical uses, e.g., screening for resistant tomato varieties, we developed a method using a toothbrush to inoculate susceptible tomato plants with TYLCV. In this study, we investigated the physical properties and host range of TYLCV-Kumiyama isolated in Kyoto Prefecture, and the following results were obtained: thermal inactivation point of 75°C–78°C for 10 min, dilution end point of 10–6, and longevity in vitro of 6 days at 25°C. Nine species belonging to four families were infected with the virus. The symptoms consisted primarily of yellowing or vein yellowing.