Geminivirus diseases in vegetables and other crops in Brazil: Current status and approaches for management

Resumo

ABSTRACT

            Insect-transmitted viruses cause some of the most damaging and economically important diseases of crop plants, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. The geminiviruses, a group of single-stranded DNA viruses with a unique twined virus particles, are responsible for many of these diseases. Of particular importance are the geminiviruses transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), which are in the genus Begomovirus. This is the largest genus of plant viruses (in terms of number of species), and begomoviruses cause many devastating diseases of vegetable and fiber crops throughout the world. This review presents the current understanding of begomoviruses, the diseases they cause, and approaches for disease management. An emphasis is placed on the most important begomovirus disease in Brazil, which are those that affect common bean and tomato. However, because of the wide host range of the vector and the genetic flexibility of begomoviruses, these diseases pose a threat to many crops.

Keywords: begomovirus, golden mosaic, integrated pest management, whitefly, Bemisia tabaci