Comparative analysis of mechanical inoculation methods for Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) in tomato

Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) is a pathogen that causes significant yield and quality losses in 1000 plant species in 84 families, including tomato, pepper, lettuce, tobacco, and various weeds. TSWV, a member of the Orthotospovirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family, is characterized by an isometrically enveloped particle. The virus is transmitted both mechanically and via vectors. This study evaluated the effects of two different mechanical inoculation methods, each using a different buffer solution, for in vitro TSWV inoculation. Tomato plants germinated from seeds were infected with TSWV using these two distinct mechanical inoculation methods, and infection was subsequently confirmed via PCR. The presence of TSWV in the infected plants was further validated by Sanger sequencing. Disease incidence and quantitative characteristics of TSWV-infected tomato plants were measured and statistically analyzed to compare the efficiency of each inoculation method and buffer combination. Differences in disease incidence rates and quantitative properties were observed between the two inoculation methods. One of the mechanical inoculation methods, in combination with its respective buffer, demonstrated a 30% higher transmission efficiency for TSWV, emphasizing the impact of both inoculation technique and buffer composition on successful virus transmission.