Alfalfa mosaic virus in lucerne seed during seed maturation and storage, and in seedlings.

The incidence of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) in lucerne seed and pods during maturation, when monitored by sap transmission to Phaseolus (infective virus) and ELISA (AMV antigen), showed that infective virus incidence decreased rapidly with maturation, whereas antigen incidence declined slowly and was always higher than infective virus. Infective virus and antigen incidence were higher in mature seed of cv. Maris Kabul than cv. Europe because virus inactivation/degradation were more rapid in cv. Europe. Seed infection with virus originating from pollen, ovules or both was found in pods and seeds 12–15 days after pollination between healthy or AMV-infected plants; this was before maturation-associated virus inactivation. Ovule transmission was more frequent than pollen transmission. AMV antigen was present in embryos and testas of mature seed; infective virus only in embryos. Non-infective but ELISA-positive antigen in testa extracts accounted for the higher incidence of ‘seed-borne AMV’ compared with embryo-associated seed transmission to seedlings. Tests with dry mature seed either underestimated (infectivity tests) or overestimated (ELISA) eventual seedling infection. Infectivity and ELISA tests gave identical incidence values for 17 to 29-day-old seedlings.

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