Serological Detection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infecting Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) Using a Lateral Flow Immunoassay Technique

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in some major tomato growing areas in Ghana as part of a comprehensive strategy for the management of viral diseases on tomato. The lateral flow immunoassay technique (the immunostrip test of Agdia Inc.) was used to assay for TMV and CMV in samples with symptoms of virus infection collected from some major tomato growing areas in Ghana; Vea, Tono and Pwalugu (Upper East region-UE), Agogo and Akumadan (Ashanti region-AR) and Tanoso and Tuobodom (Brong-Ahafo region-BA) in 2011 and 2012. In the UE, TMV and CMV were both detected at Vea, Tono and Pwalugu. In the AR, CMV and TMV were both detected at Akumadan while only CMV was detected at Agogo. In BA, TMV and CMV were both detected at Tanoso and Tuobodom.  Field incidence of TMV was higher in the UE which had higher average daily temperatures. The serological identification of TMV in the three regions is the first of this virus in Ghana.  This is also the first report of the use of this lateral flow immunoassay technique to detect these viruses in the country. The identification of TMV and CMV in Ghana gives an indication of the need to focus efforts for virus disease management on these virus in addition to the already known begomoviruses like Tomato yellow leaf curl Mali virus (TYLCMV)(Delete) , Tomato leaf curl Kumasi virus and Tomato leaf curl Ghana virus.