Molecular virology lab, National Research Centre For Banana (ICAR), Thogamali main road, Thayanur (Post), Tiruchirapalli, India.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the 16th Annual Convention and International Symposium of Indian Virological Society on “Management of Vector-Borne Viruses” at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru-502324, Hyderabad, India, February 7–10, 2006.
Banana bract mosaic virus (BBrMV) and Banana streak virus (BSV) are two important emerging plant viruses in India. These two viral diseases cause enormous loss to banana growers especially in southern India. BBrMV infects many commercial banana clones, where as BSV infects mainly Mysore and Cavendish clones. The secondary mode of spread of these viruses has not been studied in India. These viruses primarily spread through infected suckers or tissue culture plants. In this study we have identified three aphid spp Aphis gossypii, A. craccivora and banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa to transmit BBrMV non-persistently. The virus has been detected from vectors and host by RT-PCR technique. BSV is a Pararetrovirus and the genome of the virus integrates into host genome, and citrus mealy bug, Planococcus citri and Saccharicoccus sacchari transmits from banana to banana. In our study it has been found that BSV isolate from Mysore clone could be semi-persistently transmitted through striped mealy bug, Ferrisia virgata and but not by sugarcane pink mealy bug, Saccharococcus sacharri. The healthy mealy bugs were maintained and multiplied in Pumpkin. The mealy bugs from Guava and Pineapple failed to transmit the virus. A BSV specific fragment has been amplified from DNA extract of mealy bug by PCR for confirmation and from banana by IC-PCR using the polyclonal antiserum supplied by Lockhart, Minnesota, USA. The vector transmission of two viruses at field level and implication on banana virus spread in tissue culture plants are discussed in detail.
