Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvnanthapuram-695017, India.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference of Indian Virological Society on “Emerging and Re-emerging viral Diseases of the Tropics and Subtropics” at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, December 11–14, 2007.
Cassava is an important crop in Kerala since 18th century and cultivated for food as well as for other industrial purposes. Among the various biotic factors limiting the productivity of cassava, cassava mosaic disease is an important one. In order to study the biodiversity of viruses associated with cassava mosaic disease in Kerala, cassava mosaic disease samples were collected from farmers field in different cassava growing areas of Kerala and diagnosed for the presence of Indian cassava mosaic virus (ICMV) and/or Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus (SLCMV) through multiplex PCR analysis. Two samples collected from Pathanamthitta district of Kerala showed no reaction in PCR analysis, eventhough severe symptoms were recorded. When such samples were subjected to PCR analysis using primers specific to African cassava viruses viz., ACMV, EACMV, UgV, a positive amplification was obtained with African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) primers. Sequence analysis of the PCR products further confirmed the association of ACMV in these field samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence revealed that the virus observed in the present study grouped under ACMV. This is the first report of association of ACMV in India.
