Abstract

Scottish isolates of raspberry ringspot (RRV) and tomato black ring viruses (TBRV) showing slight serological differences were associated in the field with the nematode Longidorus elongatus and were all transmitted equally efficiently by this species in laboratory experiments. Forms of both viruses from southern England and Germany that are distantly serologically related to the Scottish isolates were also transmitted experimentally by L. elongatus, although in the field they are associated with other Longidorus species. L. elongatus transmitted English isolates of RRV almost as efficiently as the Scottish isolates but it transmitted English and German isolates of TBRV only occasionally. Four isolates each of TBRV and RRV were detected by inoculating plants with extracts of nematodes; the results paralleled those of the vector studies.