Beet leaf curl virus
Encyclopedia
Beet leaf curl virus (BCLV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Rhabdoviridae
.
The host range for this virus includes species of Atriplex
, Beta
, Chenopodium
and Spinacia
and also Tetragonia tetragonioides. The most important hosts however are sugarbeet and fodder beet
. BLCV is found in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.
The vector for BCLV is Piesma quadratum, the beet lace bug
. Both adults and nymphs acquire the virus when feeding continuously for at least thirty minutes and need to feed for at least forty minutes in order to inoculate the virus into new host plants. The vectors remains infective for the rest of their lives. The virus migrates to the salivary glands, haemolymph and intestinal wall and is thought to multiply in both the adult and larval stages of the insect. It does not seem to be transmissible mechanically or by seed. Dry plant material remains infectious for up to seven days and for twelve weeks at -20°C.
The disease manifests itself by an initial translucence of the leaf veins and petioles which later become swollen and grow more slowly than the rest of the leaf causing it to crinkle. A bunch of small, curved new leaves form in the plant's crown creating a head somewhat resembling a lettuce. Growth in general slows down and the older leaves die. The disease is mostly found in central Europe in areas with light sandy soils. The loss of yield in sugarbeet can be up to 75% and the sugar content of the beets may be consideraly reduced.
Rhabdoviridae
Rhabdoviruses are viruses belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae, which is in the order Mononegavirales. The name is derived from the Greek rhabdos meaning rod referring to the shape of the viral particles. Rhabdoviruses infect a broad range of hosts throughout the animal and plant kingdoms...
.
The host range for this virus includes species of Atriplex
Atriplex
Atriplex is a plant genus of 100-200 species, known by the common names of saltbush and orache . The genus is quite variable and widely distributed. It includes many desert and seashore plants and halophytes, as well as plants of moist environments...
, Beta
Beta (plant)
Beta is a genus in the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae. The best known member is the common Beet, Beta vulgaris, but several other species are recognised...
, Chenopodium
Chenopodium
Chenopodium is a genus of about 150 species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifications separate it and its relatives as Chenopodiaceae, but...
and Spinacia
Spinacia
Spinacia is the spinach genus.-External links:*...
and also Tetragonia tetragonioides. The most important hosts however are sugarbeet and fodder beet
Mangelwurzel
Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel , also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet and fodder beet, is a cultivated root vegetable derived from Beta vulgaris...
. BLCV is found in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.
The vector for BCLV is Piesma quadratum, the beet lace bug
Tingidae
Tingidae is a family of very small [2-10 mm] insects in the order Hemiptera that are commonly referred to as lace bugs. This group is distributed worldwide with about 2,000 described species....
. Both adults and nymphs acquire the virus when feeding continuously for at least thirty minutes and need to feed for at least forty minutes in order to inoculate the virus into new host plants. The vectors remains infective for the rest of their lives. The virus migrates to the salivary glands, haemolymph and intestinal wall and is thought to multiply in both the adult and larval stages of the insect. It does not seem to be transmissible mechanically or by seed. Dry plant material remains infectious for up to seven days and for twelve weeks at -20°C.
The disease manifests itself by an initial translucence of the leaf veins and petioles which later become swollen and grow more slowly than the rest of the leaf causing it to crinkle. A bunch of small, curved new leaves form in the plant's crown creating a head somewhat resembling a lettuce. Growth in general slows down and the older leaves die. The disease is mostly found in central Europe in areas with light sandy soils. The loss of yield in sugarbeet can be up to 75% and the sugar content of the beets may be consideraly reduced.