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Occurrence of maize lethal necrosis in Ecuador: a disease without boundaries?

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Abstract

Maize plants displaying severe mosaic, chlorosis and, in some cases, necrosis were observed in two provinces of Ecuador. Shotgun sequencing of cDNA obtained from double-stranded RNA extracted from symptomatic samples revealed the presence of Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV), two components of maize lethal necrosis. In 2015, a survey conducted in Los Ríos, Manabí and Guayas, major maize production areas in the country, showed that the two viruses were present in a significant number of plants. Mixed infections were detected and associated with severe symptoms. MCMV was also detected in two hybrid seed lots, a significant finding for the epidemiology of the disease in Ecuador. The report of maize lethal necrosis, today the most significant virus disease of maize, in Ecuador is of great concern for producers in the South American continent because of the potential of an epidemic as that observed in east Africa in recent years.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank maize growers in Manabí, Los Ríos and Guayas, and the Ecuadorean Agency for Quality Assurance in Agriculture (AGROCALIDAD) for their support during field trips and providing hybrid seeds for testing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, CIBE-ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    D. F. Quito-Avila & R. A. Alvarez

  2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Km 30.5 Via Perimetral Campus Gustavo Galindo, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    D. F. Quito-Avila

  3. Instituto Nacional Autónomo de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Estacion Portoviejo, INIAP, Km 12 Via Santa Ana, Portoviejo, Ecuador

    A. A. Mendoza

Authors
  1. D. F. Quito-Avila
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  2. R. A. Alvarez
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  3. A. A. Mendoza
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Correspondence to D. F. Quito-Avila.

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Quito-Avila, D.F., Alvarez, R.A. & Mendoza, A.A. Occurrence of maize lethal necrosis in Ecuador: a disease without boundaries?. Eur J Plant Pathol 146, 705–710 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-0943-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-0943-5

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