Genetic characteristics of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) isolates in the Russian Federation and neighboring countries

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus or Tobamovirus fructirugosum (ToBRFV) is a quarantine pest of the EAEU, EPPO and some other countries. The virus affects tomatoes, peppers and several weed species. Yield losses of tomato fruits as a result of infection with ToBRFV can reach 70%. Due to the development of intensive necrosis and deformation, the fruits of infected plants become unmarketable.

ToBRFV is characterized by a variety of pathways and is capable of remaining for a long time in plant residues, soil, water, hydroponic solutions and on various inert surfaces. Seed infection is of great importance in the spread of ToBRFV.

According to the national report, ToBRFV was first detected in the Russian Federation in 2023, which accounted for 5 quarantine phytosanitary areas in 4 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In 2024, a further expansion of its area was observed.

The most important prerequisite for preventing the spread of phytopathogenic viruses is the identification of their infection sources, which can be achieved by comparing the nucleotide sequence of the identified isolates and isolates of a given pathogen of different geographic origins.

This article presents the results of a study of the genetic characteristics of the ToBRFV isolates identified in Stavropol Krai, Volgograd Oblast and Moscow Oblast, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

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