Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Trivandrum-695017.
Abstracts of Research Papers Presented during the National Symposium of Indian Virological Society at Unit of Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, October 14–1.
Cassava mosaic is one of the major limiting factors in cassava production. The repeated use of infected planting material over the years has resulted in increased disease incidence and intensity. Production of healthy planting material coupled with sensitive diagnostic methods and easily adoptable disease management practices are required at present. Use of antiviral plant extract is one of the ecofriendly options available for management of viral diseases. In the present study locally available known antiviral plant extracts were screened against Indian cassava mosaic virus. Aqueous leaf extracts (5 per cent) of Mirabilis jalapa and Boerhavia diffusa were found to inhibit ICMV infection on tobacco when applied 1 to 12 hour before inoculation under controlled condition. Efforts were made to utilize these extracts for elimination of ICMV from cassava by different ways. Dipping of setts prepared from young cassava stems for 12 hours in these extracts could reduce the disease incidence. Incorporation of crude extracts and partially purified proteins from these plants in tissue culture media was not able to eliminate the virus. The molecular diagnostic techniques like ELISA, PCR and NASH were employed for detection and confirmation of virus in treated plant samples. The possibility of using antiviral extracts along with other control strategies like meristem culture and planting of barrier crops is discussed.
