Detection of chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus in chilli plants showing different virus like symptoms and in alternative weed hosts

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L) is a commonly grown spice crop in Sri Lanka. Average chilli yield in Sri Lanka is 1 mt/ha though the potential yield is 3 mt/ha. Low yield of chilli is mainly due to abiotic and biotic stresses including diseases. Among the diseases chilli leaf curling is known as the most devastating disease in chilli. Almost all of the cultivating chilli varieties in Sri Lanka are found to be susceptible to the Leaf Curl Disease of Chilli (LCDC). Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus has been reported in association with LCDC in Sri Lanka. In this study, the possible association of Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus with seven different symptom types in chilli plants and 18 commonly growing weeds were tested using Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus specific primers in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The results revealed the presence of Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus in association with four different symptom groups reported from commonly cultivating chilli varieties. The results also revealed the presence of Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus in nine weeds, out of 18 weeds tested namely, Pitasudupala (Boerhavia diffusa of family Nyctaginaceae), Gandapana (Lantana camara of family Verbenaceae), Maduruthala (Ocimum tenuiflorum of family Ocimum), Wathupalu (Mikania micrantha of family Asteraceae), Balunaguta (Stachytarpheta indica of family Verbinaceae), Wal Aba (Cleome viscosa of family Capparidaceae) Wal rubber (Euphorbia heterophylla of family Euphorbiraceae), Walkoththamalli (Scoparia dulcis of family Scrophulariaceae) and Pethithora (Cassia tora of family Fabaceae). The findings of this study revealed that the virus can be in association with chilli plants having different symptoms and the alternative weed hosts of Chilli leaf curl Sri Lanka virus. This information can be applied to manage the LCDC in Sri Lanka.