Plant viruses and native vegetation in Mediterranean greenhouse areas

- Virus screening of Mediterranean native plants for farmscaping in greenhouse areas.
- Native plants surveyed yielded negative results for virus infection.
- Native shrubs as candidate plants for plantations around horticultural greenhouses.

Semi-natural plantations around intensive horticulture production areas may contribute to biodiversity and act as phytosanitary barriers for pests and diseases that affect horticultural crops. However, native vegetation can also act as plant virus reservoirs, thus posing a risk for neighbouring crops. In this study, samples from 320 native perennial plant species, belonging to 20 botanical families were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of the 10 most harmful viruses for horticulture in south-eastern Spain. Several species gave positive ELISA values for viruses. However, results of molecular tests and bioassays failed to confirm the presence of these viruses. Discrepancies between the results of the different types of analyses are discussed. Overall, this information indicates that the Mediterranean native flora study could be used for farmscaping in greenhouse areas.