Peanut stunt virus


Peanut stunt virus is a plant pathogenic virus in the family Bromoviridae. It is a member of the genus Cucumovirus , the type member of which is Cucumber mosaic virus. The three members of this genus are positive-stranded RNA viruses with a multipartite genome. The virus particles have an isometric or spherical shape.

Distribution and host range

PSV was first named as a new disease of groundnuts or peanuts in 1966. Disease symptoms on the above ground parts of the peanut plants were described as severe dwarfing or stunting – hence the name Peanut stunt virus. Fruit production was also severely reduced. Virginia peanut fields, where this disease was first observed in 1964, had yield reductions of 10-50%.
Severe stunting of peanuts had also been observed in North Carolina in 1964. The peanut disease in N. Carolina was reported to be caused by the PSV in 1967. The later report also stated that this virus caused disease in bean and in white clover.
After its first description, PSV was quickly diagnosed in beans in Washington State, white clover in South Carolina, peanuts, beans and white clover in Georgia, peanuts in Alabama, and white clover in Florida. Strains of PSV have now been identified in Africa, Europe and Asia as well as in the United States.
PSV is an economically important pathogen of plants in the family Leguminosae. In addition to beans, peanuts, and clover, PSV has been reported to naturally infect peas, soybeans, alfalfa and lupine. In 2002, PSV was reported to infect rhizoma or perennial peanut in N. Florida and S. Georgia.
Host range studies have shown that fourteen other plant families can be infected with this virus including agriculturally important crops in the plant families Cucurbitaceae and Solanceae. Cultivated Tobacco and celery have also been reported to be naturally infected.

Transmission

PSV is transmitted from plant to plant by several species of aphids in a stylet-borne manner. It can also be transmitted by mechanical inoculation. It has been shown to be transmitted by seeds in peanuts at a very low level but this is not considered to be very important to the spread of this virus.
The virus can be introduced into a susceptible field crop by aphids from a nearby reservoir and then is spread further into the field by aphids. It can be spread in perennial crops by harvesting and possibly by root grafts.

Diagnosis

Correct diagnosis of any plant disease requires some expertise. Plants suspected of a viral infection should be sent to a plant diagnostic laboratory where the presence or absence of the virus can be confirmed by serological, genetic, or host range tests. Antiserum and sequence data are available for this virus.

Other references for ''Peanut stunt virus'' in perennial peanuts

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