Susceptibility of pyrethrum and opium poppy to tomato spotted wilt tospovirus infection

Artificial glasshouse challenges of a range of commercial cultivars and breeding lines of opium poppy and pyrethrum with a selection of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus isolates were carried out. Infection of both pyrethrum and poppy was shown. In pyrethrum, evidence for erratic virus distribution, limited systemic infection or reduced virus titre in some tissues was shown. Neither species showed symptoms of infection nor was any effect on plant growth observed. Testing of a small number of field pyrethrum plants indicated natural infection may occur.