Abstract

Grapevines from six Chilean regions were surveyed for virus diseases and tested for the presence of the most important viruses. ELISA testing of 2535 samples and confirmatory RT-PCR of some ELISA-negative samples from symptomatic and symptomless vines gave the following infection rates: 6.36% for Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV); 4.67% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1); 16.05% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2); 6.41% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3); 0.26% for Grapevine leafroll associated virus 7 (GLRaV-7); 14.99% for Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV); 5.57% for Grapevine virus A (GVA) and 0.78% for Grapevine virus B (GVB). Strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV) Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV) and Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) were not detected. Overall infection in the surveyed Chilean grapevines, considering ELISA and RT-PCR, was 32.35%. Virus infection ratio obtained from ELISA analysis in the six regions, varied between 21.19% (Región Metropolitana) and 74.26% (Coquimbo). RT-PCR was used for detection of the Red Globe strain of GLRaV-2 and Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV), and to confirm and extend ELISA results. GVB, GFkV, GRSPaV, GLRaV-2 RG and GLRaV-7 are new records for Chile.