Reactions to one isolate from diseased lettuce plants collected in 2003 in Atibaia, SP, were studied in six varieties and 18 selected lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) lines. Underdeveloped, malformed leaves with mosaic symptoms and also necrotic leaves were found under field conditions in Raider, 'Karla H25' and Hortência lettuce cultivars. These symptomatic plants were sampled and the virus etiology studied by PTA-ELISA and by means of mechanical inoculation on test plants and on differential lettuce cultivars resistant to Lettuce mosaic virus, LMV pathotypes I, II and III. LMV pathotype IV was identified in all cultivars studied by the reaction in the differential hosts. 'Karla H25'isolate was selected to screen the best lines of the breeding as well as lettuce program and commercial varieties. Twenty-four best lines of the program were inoculated with this isolate and the evaluations were based on symptoms. Symptomless lettuce plants were additionally tested for LMV presence, in PTA-ELISA, and by retro-inoculation to Chenopodium amaranticolor. The results indicated lines with varied degrees of susceptibility and tolerance. Lines 3 and 4 showed tolerance and this suggests that they can provide a good alternative for disease control and also that they might contribute in the reduction of chemical control.
vegetable; virus; LMV pathotype IV; breeding
