Characterization of watermelon mosaic virus (Wmv) in watermelon and melon growing areas in Adana and mersin provinces

This study was carried out in the spring and summer of 2019 with the aim of detection and characterization of Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) in watermelon and melon production areas in Adana (Kozan, Ceyhan, Karaisalı, İmamoğlu and Karataş) and Mersin (Silifke and Tarsus) provinces. Sampling was done from 119 plants (64 watermelons and 55 melons) showing WMV symptoms such as development retardation, discoloration,, deformation, mosaic, bubbling, spinning and flower reduction in young shoots in surveys. The collected samples were first tested by DAS-ELISA method and 11 watermelon and 10 melon samples were found to be infected with WMV. As a result of RT-PCR studies using WMV-specific WMV-3 (CCCAYCAACTGTYGGAAG) and WMV-5 (GGCTTCTGAGCAAAGATG) primer pairs, 408 bp size bands were obtained. At the end of RT-PCR studies, Tarsus (WMV-6) melon, Tuzla (WMV-7) melon, Silifke (WMV-13) watermelon, Kozan (WMV-19) watermelon isolates were selected by considering the region and plant species and used in sequence analysis and phylogenetic classification studies. WMV isolates obtained in this study showed % 86,8-% 97,7 similarities with WMV isolates reported from Turkey (EU660579), Korea (AB369278), France (JF273463 and JF273462), Italy (FJ823122) and Japan (AB353119) and took place in EM3 sub-group of the G3 group that included severe strains of WMV in phylogenetic tree.