BELARUSIAN ISOLATES OF POTATO S-VIRUS AS A SOURCE FOR OBTAINING THE VIRAL PREPARATION PVS

Viral diseases are one of the limiting factors in achieving high potato yields. Symptoms of a single virus can vary depending on the strain. More than 50 potato viruses are known, some of which are found only in South America, while others are widespread. For example, potato virus S (PVS) is common in all potato-growing countries. The aim of this research was to select Belarusian isolates of potato virus S to create a collection for in vitro culture and to produce a viral preparation. The study involved potato tubers bred in Belarus. The selection was carried out using a comprehensive diagnostic system for potato tubers to detect viral diseases (Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato virus S (PVS), Potato virus M (PVM), Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), and Potato virus A (PVA) using indexing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The use of comprehensive diagnostics allowed us to identify not only phytoinfection-free potato samples but also to select Belarusian isolates of potato virus S, which were used to isolate a pure culture of this virus. For 2023-2025, A total of 3166 potato plant samples (1301 in 2023, 777 in 2024, and 1088 in 2025) were indexed, 2766 of which were tested for viral and bacterial infection using the ELISA method. As a result of the analyses, samples free of viral and bacterial infection were identified: 59,95% in 2023, 50,4% in 2024, and 64,1% in 2025. A collection of Belarusian potato virus S isolates was created. These isolates were used in studies to select host plants to obtain a pure virus preparation. The resulting virus preparation will be used to develop test kits for the detection of potato virus S using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.