The Effect of Mineral Nutrition on the Expression of Potato Leaf Roll Virus Symptoms

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Abstract
Some mineral deficiency symptoms and those of the leaf roll virus have frequently been confused. The similarity between mineral deficiencies and leaf roll symptoms suggests that the effect of the virus might be influenced by the nutrition of its host. A study of certain mineral relationships between healthy and diseased leaf roll plants in the Chippewa variety was therefore undertaken.In greenhouse and field experiments it was found that phosphorus deficiency produced symptoms ranging from slight to severe rolling of the leaves and from light to heavy pigment formation as the amount of phosphorus decreased. Symptoms of extreme phosphorus deficiency in non‐virus plants were similar to those produced by the virus except that more pigmentation occurred in the phosphorus deficiency symptoms. Severe nitrogen and slight phosphorus deficiencies caused only a moderate increase in the intensity of leaf roll symptoms while calcium, potassium, magnesium and sulfur had little or no effect. Leaf roll symptoms tended to be masked with adequate balanced nutrition.Analyses of leaf tissues taken from plants grown in the greenhouse and field showed in general that phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium contents were appreciably reduced in plants having leaf roll. The nitrogen and potassium contents apparently were not influenced by the virus.Dry weights of diseased plants were generally less than those of non‐virus plants. The results indicate that this might have been caused by the virus interfering with the uptake of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.

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