Plant viruses threaten agricultural production by reducing the yield, quality, and economical benefits. Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) from the genus Tobamovirus causes serious losses in the quantity and quality of tomato production. The management of plant protection is very difficult, mainly due to the vector-less transmission of ToMV. Resistant breeding generally has low effectiveness. The most practical approach is the use of a rapid diagnostic assay of the virus’ presence before the symptoms occur in plants, followed by the eradication of virus-infected plants. Such approaches also include serological detection methods (ELISA and Western immunoblotting), where antibodies need to be developed for an immunochemical reaction. The development and characterization of polyclonal antibodies for the detection of ToMV with appropriate parameters (sensitivity, specificity, and cross-reactivity) were the subjects of this study. A new polyclonal antibody, AB-1, was developed in immunized rabbits using the modified oligopeptides with antigenic potential (sequences are revealed) derived from the coat protein of ToMV SL-1. the developed polyclonal antibody. AB-1, showed higher sensitivity when compared with commercially available analogs. It also detected ToMV in infected pepper and eggplant plants, and detected another two tobamoviruses (TMV and PMMoV) and ToMV in soil rhizosphere samples and root residues, even two years after the cultivation of the infected tomato plant.

Scent marking has been discussed as an important component of communication in brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758). However, the environmental factors influencing the occurrence of rub trees and their value for non-invasive genetic sampling remain poorly understood. This study examined the patterns of rub tree occurrence in the eastern High Tatra Mountains (Slovakia) at two spatial scales. At the tree scale, paired-design generalized linear mixed models showed that rub trees were more frequently recorded on large-diameter coniferous trees, indicating an association with visually prominent and chemically suitable substrates. At the landscape scale, logistic regression models revealed that the probability of rub tree occurrence increased with elevation and distance from human settlements, identifying high-elevation forests as areas of higher predicted rub tree occurrence. The best-supported model was used to produce a predictive map of rub tree occurrence across the study area. We also evaluated whether rub trees are reliable sources of biological material for non-invasive sampling. Hair collected during repeated field visits provided DNA suitable for genotyping and individual identification. Overall, the results show that rub trees exhibit non-random spatial patterns and represent effective focal points for systematic genetic sampling, linking patterns of rub tree occurrence to the spatial targeting of non-invasive genetic sampling in mountain landscapes.