EFFECT OF Tobacco etch virus (TEV) ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF RED PEPPER IN TURKEY

The most prevalently grown varieties of red peppers in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey are ‘Sena’ and ‘Dila’ in addition to local red pepper populations. Survey studies conducted on Kahramanmaras pepper growing areas in 2014 and 2015 indicated that Tobacco etch virus (TEV) was the most common virus in collected pepper samples. In this study, the effects of TEV on ‘Sena’ and ‘Dila’ were analyzed. The experiment was designed with 5 replicates and randomized plots in fully controlled greenhouses. The experiment consisted of TEV inoculated and control pepper plots. The pepper plants were mechanically inoculated with TEV at the 4–6 leaf stage and periodical observations were made. Virus transmission was confirmed using the double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) method. The total yield, red pepper flake production, average fruit weight, diameter, length and volume, average fruit wall thickness, fruit color and fresh and dry weights of all green parts of harvested red peppers were evaluated. The quoted data on % reduction in yield and different fruit quality criteria are averaged over two years. According to the results of the study, the highest loss of yield was recorded for ‘Sena’ (58.2%) while the highest red pepper flake loss ratio was in ‘Dila’. In terms of fruit quality criteria, the most reductions in fruit weight (40.1%), fruit diameter (30.9%), fruit length (32.8%) and fruit volume (51.8%) were found in ‘Dila’, the highest losses in fruit wall thickness (27.2%) and average fresh and dry weights of green parts (49.9–43.1%) were in the ‘Sena’. There was a significant effect of TEV inoculation. Overall, virus infected plants were had significantly lower yield and reduced quality compared to control plants.