Application of optical coherence tomography to detect Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infected cucumber seed

In this study, we distinguished Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infected seeds from healthy seeds using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Two dimensional OCT images and stereo micrographs revealed that the infected seeds had narrow gap between the seed coat and endosperm that were not present in the healthy seeds. Three dimensional OCT images confirmed that the narrow gaps were present in the inner structure of overall the infected seeds. A-scan analysis was also performed to calculate the distance from the seed coat to the endosperm. The results revealed a difference in the width of the gap of about 20 mu m between healthy and infected cucumber seeds. Taken together, these results suggest that OCT could be applied as an effective non-destructive method for CGMMV infection of cucumber seeds.