First Report of Watermelon Crinkle Leaf-Associated Virus-2 (WCLaV-2) in Watermelon () in Georgia, USA.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a key horticultural crop in Georgia with farmgate value of 142 million USD (2022 Farm Gate Value Report), yet faces challenges from whitefly-transmitted viruses, especially during periods of elevated whitefly populations in the fall. Foliar symptoms on watermelon plants including yellow mottling and chlorosis, wrinkling, bunching, and upward curling, were observed in experimental fields at UGA Tifton and commercial fields in Colquitt County in the fall of 2023. These were similar to those described for watermelon crinkle leaf-associated viruses (WCLaV-1 and WCLaV-2) from Florida (Hendrick et al, 2021) and Texas (Hernandez et al.