Interception of Seed-transmitted Viruses in French Bean Germplasm Imported During 2002 - 2003

The quarantine processing of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm accessions (1140) imported during 2002 and 2003 from Canada (1), Centra Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Colombia (1127), Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, Taiwan (1) and USA (11) revealed the presence of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) and Tomato black ring virus (TBRV). A total of 73 accessions from CIAT was found infected by one or more of these viruses. Virological testing methods employed include visual inspection, growing-on test, Electron Microscopy and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Seed-transmitted AMV, CLRV, SMV, SBMV and TBRV are not reported on French bean in India and were intercepted for the first time. Harvest from only virus-free plants was released to the indenters. The risk of introduction of eight seed-transmitted viruses or their strains was thus eliminated.