First report of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus from Matricaria chamomilla L. in Iran (Short report)

Several chamomile plants (Matricaria chamomilla L.) showing reduced growth were observed and collected from some fields of medicinal plants in Harsin (Kermanshah province), during summer 2020. The land had been under cultivation of sugar beet crop with Beet necrotic yellow vein virus-BNYVV infection. Samples were tested using ELISA (Clark. and Adams, 1977) and RT-PCR assays for probable BNYVV infection. Seven out of nine tested samples showed positive reaction in ELISA. Three of ELISA positive samples were selected and tested for BNYVV infection by RT-PCR using specific primers designed in this study to amplify part of the coat protein (CP) gene of BNYVV. A DNA fragment with the expected size of 570 bp was amplified in all three tested samples. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified DNA fragment of one of the tested samples (Cham7) was determined (MZ368701) and compared with the available sequences in GenBank using the BLAST tool at the NCBI database. Based on the results, our obtained sequence showed the highest identity (>99.6%) with previously reported CP gene sequences of BNYVV. A soil sample was collected from the same original farms in which chamomile plants had been collected for tests. Seeds of chamomile plant were disinfected and cultivated in soil sample and RT-PCR assays confirmed BNYVV infection. Widespread infection of BNYVV in sugar beet fields has been previously reported from Iran (Farzadfar, 2009). BNYVV has been previously reported from German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) in Turkey (Kutluk et al, 2000), however, this is the first report of natural infection of BNYVV on chamomile plant in Iran.