Zucchini yellow mosaic virus
| Zucchini yellow mosaic virus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| ZYMV on courgette | |
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group IV ((+)ssRNA) |
| Family: | Potyviridae |
| Genus: | Potyvirus |
Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV) is an aphid-borne potyvirus, regarded as a major pathogen of cucurbits in most regions of the world where these crops are cultivated.
ZYMV affects all cucurbits including pumpkins, squashes, vegetable marrows, courgettes, melons, watermelons, cucumbers, gherkins and various gourds especially zucchinis. The effects are severe leaf mosaic, yellowing and eventually "shoestring" symptoms in the leaves. The fruits are stunted, twisted and deformed by raised protuberances, which make them unmarketable. In cultivated crops plants cease producing marketable fruits within 1–2 weeks of infection and serious financial losses can occur, particularly in courgette and marrow crops.
[edit] Control
The disease may be introduced in infected seed, so sourcing clean seed can help prevent the disease. Control is largely dependent on using insecticides to control the aphid vectors. A form of "inoculation" or cross protection may also be used where seedlings are inoculated with a non-virulent strain of the virus (ZYMV-WK); this prevents infection with the severe strain. and so on.
A biotech yellow crookneck squash has been developed to resist zucchini yellow mosaic virus (and watermelon mosaic virus/WMV). This contains the coat protein genes of the viruses.[1] In 2009, relatively small amounts of this were grown commercially in the US.[2]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Pocket K No. 2: Plant Products of Biotechnology ISAAA, August 2009, retrieved Auguist 11, 2010
- ^ Field areas 2009: Genetically modified plants: Global cultivation on 134 million hectares GMO Compass, March 29, 2010, retrieved August 11, 2010
 |
This plant virus article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
