Tomato production worldwide is affected by numerous plant virus species. The early and accurate detection of viruses is a critical step for disease control. However, the simultaneous detection of the most known tomato viruses can be difficult because of the high number and diversity of tomato-infecting viruses. Here, we have identified four new viruses in Serbia by applying target-independent small RNA high-throughput sequencing (HTS). HTS was applied on pools of samples and separate samples, in total comprising 30 tomato samples that exhibited (severe) virus-like symptoms and were collected in Serbia during three annual surveys (2011 to 2013). These samples had previously tested negative for the presence of 16 tomato viruses using targeted detection methods. Three divergent complete genome sequences of Physostegia chlorotic mottled virus were obtained from different localities, indicating for the first time that this virus is widespread in Serbia and might represent an emergent viral pathogen of tomato. The tomato torrado virus was detected at one locality with devastating yield losses. The southern tomato virus was detected at two localities, and the spinach latent virus was detected at one locality. In addition, we detected the presence of one already-known virus in Serbia, the tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus. All the HTS results were subsequently confirmed by targeted detection methods. In this study, the successful application of post hoc HTS testing of a limited number of pooled samples resulted in the discovery of new viruses. Thus, our results encourage the use of HTS in research and diagnostic laboratories, including laboratories that have limited resources to resolve disease etiology.[ ] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Viruses are responsible for numerous epidemics in different crops in all parts of the world. As a consequence of their presence great economic losses are being incurred. In addition to the development of sensitive techniques for detection, identification and characterization of viruses, substantial attention has also been paid to biotechnological methods for their elimination from plants. In this review article, the following biotechnological in vitro culture techniques for virus elimination from ornamental plants are presented: meristem culture, thermotherapy, chemotherapy, cryotherapy or a combination of these methods. The plant species, as well as the type of virus determine the choice of a most suitable method. The state of the art in investigation of virus elimination from Impatiens sp. in Serbia is summarized.

A survey was conducted in 2012 and 2013 to detect the presence and distribution of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) in lavandin crops growing in continental parts of Croatia. A total of 73 lavandin samples from six crops in different localities were collected and analyzed for the presence of AMV and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) using commercial double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA kits. AMV was detected serologically in 62 samples collected at three different localities, and none of the samples tested positive for CMV. For further analyses, six selected samples of naturally infected lavandin plants originating from different localities were mechanically transmitted to test plants: Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Nicotiana benthamiana and Ocimum basilicum, confirming the infectious nature of the disease. Molecular detection was performed by amplification of a 751 bp fragment in all tested samples, using the specific primers CP AMV1/CP AMV2 that amplify the part of the coat protein (CP) gene and 3?-UTR. The RT-PCR products derived from the isolates 371-13 and 373-13 were sequenced (KJ504107 and KJ504108, respectively) and compared with the AMV sequences available in GenBank. CP sequence analysis, conducted using the MEGA5 software, revealed that the isolate 371-13 had the highest nucleotide identity of 99.5% (100% amino acid identity) with an isolate from Argentina originating from Medicago sativa (KC881010), while the sequence of isolate 373-13 had the highest identity with an Italian AMV isolate from Lavandula stoechas (FN667967) of 98.6% (99% amino acid identity). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the clustering of selected isolates into four molecular groups and the lavandin AMV isolates from Croatia grouped into two distinct groups, implying a significant variability within the AMV lavandin population.

Over the last 15 years, the area planted with soybeans (Glycine max) in Serbia has increased drastically, from 131,000 hectares in 2005 to 230,000 in 2019, and the average yield reached 3.2 t/ha in...