Presented by

Lt. Deore P.B.

Reg. No. 2018A/15P

DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PATHOLOGY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE,
VNMKV, PARBHANI 431 402 (M.S.)
Phytopathological classics
 Reprints of outstanding research papers
published in non English journals
 Have been translated in English
 Published by American Phytopathological Society
 15 in Number
 Not available in most of the Libraries of the world

 Phytopathological classics
In publishing Phytopathological classics,
only a limited number of papers are selected
 As representative of the historical background
 Chronology and significance
 Most profound and lasting influence on virus research
Phytopathological Classics: Classical work of
Adolf Mayer, Dmitrii Ivanowski, Martinus
Beijerinck and Erwin Baur on Plant Virology

Introduction
 Theory suggests viruses as old as life
 Written history indicates existence
500 years or more ago
 Science of the viruses barely 50 years old
 Phytopathological Classics: Classical work of
Adolf Mayer, Dmitrii Ivanowski, Martinus
Beijerinck and Erwin Baur on Plant Virology

Earliest Record of Plant Virus

Yellow Vein Net Disease of Eupatorium was

described in a Japanese poem, written in the
eighth century (Saunders et al., 2003)
Adolf Mayer
 Born: Sept. 8, 1843 in Oldenburg, Germany
 Scientific training at Univ. of Heidelberg, Ghent, & Halle
 Lecturer at Heidelberg
 Professor (1875)
 Field: chemical technology
 Professional chemist
 Director of Agril. Experiment Station at Wageningen
(1876-1904)
 Returned to Heidelberg University as a Professor
political economy, write drama, poetry & prose
Adolf Mayer
Published
 Investigations on fermentation of alcohol,
 Investigations on wood as building material,
 Methods of street cleaning,
 Artificial butter,
 Burning quality of tobacco,
 Plant nutrition, &
 Similar industrial & agricultural problems.
Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
Adolf Mayer
1886 entitled "Ueber die Mosaikkrankheit des Tabaks,"
(first published in Dutch in 1885)
 Netherlands
 Tobacco disease prevailing form many years
 Disease not subject of investigation as yet,
 Scientific treatment of technical questions
 Had not yet taken a firm root in Holland
 Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
Manifestations of this disease:
 Mosaic-like coloring 3-5 weeks after transplanting.
 Thickness in darker colored spots.
 Thicker places growing more vigorously
 Results in manifold & irregular distortions
 Finally, lighter & thinner parts died prematurely
 Spotting appeared in fully ripe leaves not
detrimental to value of product.
Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
Manifestations of this disease:
 In later stages, darker parts became transparent &
varnish-colored tint
 Diagnosis: younger leaves showed symptoms in
earlier stages
 No rule for distribution of diseased plants in field.
 Several diseased plants found next to each other.
 Quite often, healthy & diseased plants found
alternating
 Diseased plant was never source of infection for
its surroundings
Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
Disadvantages of disease:
 Retardation of growth
 Decreased in yield.
 Curling of leaves
Useless for manufacture of cigars
 Brittleness of leaves.
 Insufficient ripening
 Poor burn
 Harmful to aroma
Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
Regional names to disease:
 Rhenen & Amerongen: bunt (bont) first stage of spotting
 Southern Germany: rust (roest) later stage of yellow colored spots
 Popular name with grower: Smut
Mayer:
 None of these expressions seemed very desirable for general usage
 In order to prevent confusion he suggested an international name
“mosaic disease of tobacco”
 First time used term “mosaic” to give a fair picture at least of first
apparent stage of disease.
 To find out cause of disease took opinions of farmers & found
specific favorite theories
 Concerning mosaic disease of tobacco
 On 23 June, 1879, Directors of agricultural society of Wyksche
rd

directed a communication to board of directors of Ryks landbouw

school
 There were some healthy leaves & some leaves affected by disease
included in letter.
 Board of directors of Ryks landbouw school immediately handed
letter & samples over to Experimental Station
 Mayer undertook a comparative chemical analysis of healthy &
diseased tobacco leaves
 He concluded that
o It probably cannot be a lack of nitrogen, potassium, nor of lime
o Tobacco plant needs very little phosphoric acid