Virus disease incidences of sweet potatoes in Korea

In 2003, a survey of sweet potato virus disease was carried out in seed boxes as well as in various sweet potato fields. Virus infection rate was 5-100% and 100% at seed boxes and fields, respectively. No relationship of the disease incidence and severity was observed between sweet potato cultivating areas and cultivars. A total of 179 samples were collected and analyzed based on serological, electron microscopic and molecular properties. Field-grown sweet potatoes were examined to inspect 8 different viruses using NCM-ELISA, resulting that 30% of sweet potato was infected by one virus, whereas 70% was by more than 2 viruses. However, RT-PCR using primers selected for seven viruses, such as Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) revealed that of one-hundred seventy-nine tested; 71 of SPFMV, 29 of SPGV, 19 of SPFMV+SPGV, 1 of SPFMV+ SwPLV, 1 of SPFMV+SPLCV, 2 of SPFMV+SPGV+ SwPLV, 6 of SPFMV+SPGV+SPLCV, 2 of SPFMV+ SPGV+SwPLV+SPLCV and 48 of unknown viruses were identified from the field samples. In root, viral diseases were severer in Yeoju than in Mokpo Experiment Station and infection rate was much different depending on sweet potato cultivars.