ASSOCIATED VIRUSES THREATENING SWEETPOTATO IMPROVEMENT AND PRODUCTION IN ETHIOPIA

The level of virus contamination on sweetpotato germplasm resources in Ethiopia was determined. Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatus) accessions in fields at Awassa and Wondo Genet Research Stations had 85% typical virus symptoms with up to 100% incidence. The associated viruses were identified by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Accordingly, out of 57 accessions serologically tested from Awassa, 22 and 21 were found to be infected by Sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and Sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV). Only one was infected by Sweetpotato virus 2 (SPV2). Similar serological analysis of 122 accessions from Wondo Genet revealed that SPFMV is the most frequent (64.7) followed by SPCSV (10.7%) and SPV2 in only two accessions. This is the first report of the occurrence of SPCSV and SPV2 in Ethiopia. There was a high virus contamination level of sweetpotato germplasm resources in Ethiopia.