Serological detection of important new viruses infecting pepper crop in Saudi Arabia

Background: Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is a popular spice and vegetable crop belonging to the family Solanaceae, grown in a wide range of climates and environments around the world. Pepper is an economically important crop playing a key role in the agriculture sector of Saudi Arabia and its production is limited by viral diseases.Methods: During the growing seasons 2021-2022, a survey was conducted in different regions of Saudi Arabia. A total of 319 plant samples were collected showing virus-like symptoms (mottling, mosaic, chlorosis, leaf distortion, dwarfing, stunted growth, and necrotic lesions of leaves and fruits). These samples were tested against the important pepper viruses using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) kits.Results: According to ELISA results, two hundred and forty samples were infected with at least one of the tested viruses with a percentage of 75.23%. Infection rates varied significantly by region, with the highest prevalence observed in Al-Baha (95%) and Dammam, Al-Jawf, Taif, and Jazan (100%). A total of twenty-one viruses were detected, with PMMoV, ChiVMV, and PepMoV being the most widespread.Conclusion: This study reports the first detection of twenty-two viruses in pepper in Saudi Arabia. Notably, three of these viruses (APLV, PLRV, and PVV) are reported for the first time infecting pepper worldwide.Keywords: DAS-ELISA; Pepper; viruses; Saudi Arabia