Detection and characterization of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in tomato and pepper grown areas in Adana and Mersin region

The study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 in tomato and pepper production areas in the provinces of Adana and Mersin to detect and characterize the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV). Samples of shoots, fruits, and young leaves were collected from 115 tomato and 51 pepper plants in 45 different fields where plants were suspected to be infected with ToBRFV based on symptoms. RT-PCR tests were performed using the ToBRFV-specific primer pair ToBRFV-F and ToBRFV-R on 166 samples (115 tomato and 51 pepper As a result of PCR tests, ToBRFV was detected at a rate of 34.8% in 40 samples taken from tomato plants, while ToBRFV was found negative in all samples taken from pepper plants. Through mechanical inoculation studies with isolates encoding TR6 and TR2, ToBRFV was transferred to tomato and pepper plants, and symptoms such as mosaic, yellowing, and deformation were observed on the leaves of tomato and pepper plants.. For DNA sequencing, six different isolates (TRy4, TRc9, TR4, TRc11, TR2, and TR6) obtained from survey areas were used. Phylogenetic analysis showed that isolates TRy4 and TRc6 were in the same group, while the other isolates formed a different group when compared to ToBRFV isolates reported from various countries. Keywords: Tomato, Pepper, ToBRFV, RT-PCR, Sequence Analysis