Department of Plant Pathology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641003.
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.
The production and productivity of pulses are poor due to heavy attack by insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is one of the most important pulse crops in India. In Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) at Coimbatore, a stem necrosis disease caused by Tobacco streak virus was noticed to an extent of 5–20 per cent (Oct-Dec 2001). The TSV infected plants were tested to study the changed levels of PO and PPO and it revealed that their activities increased upon virus infection and reached the maximum at 5 days after inoculation and thereafter it declined. Virus infection on host plants induces the hosts to produce cell wall bound peroxidases (PO) which has antimicrobial activity. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) inactivates the RNA of the virus particles and changes the redox potential of the host.
