Prevalence and Distribution of Viruses Associated with Fig Mosaic Disease in Iraq

Abstract

In the frame to study the prevalence and the distribution of viruses associated with fig mosaic disease in Iraq, surveys were carried out in  the main fig producing regions Al-Hashemiya, Al-Diwaniyah, AlSamawah and Al-Suwayrah. A total number of one hundred leaf samples  were randomly collected from major cultivars Aswed Dyala, Waziri and Sultani. All collected samples were analyzed using molecular tests  (RT-PCR) for detection of Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig leaf mottle associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1), Fig leaf mottle associated virus 2 (FLMaV-2),  Fig mild mottle associated virus (FMMaV), Fig cryptic virus (FCV), Fig fleck associated virus (FFkaV) and Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1). A wide  range of foliar symptoms including mosaic, chlorotic mottling, vein banding, chlorotic ringspots and deformations, were observed on fig  trees. Molecular analysis detected the presence of at least one virus in 81% of fig trees tested. FCV was the prevailing virus with an  incidence of 45% followed by FLMaV-1 (39%), FMV (37%), FMMaV (28%), FFkaV (16%) and FLMaV-2 (10%). Regarding cultivars, the highest  infection rate was recorded for cv. Waziri (100%), followed by cv. Sultani (82.2%) and finally cv. Aswed Diyala (74%). This study represents  the first report of the presence of FLMaV-1, FLMaV-2, FMMaV and FFkaV in Iraq.