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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #189071
Title: VIRUS DISEASES

Author
item STEVENS, MARK - BROOM'S BARN RES.,UK
item Liu, Hsing Yeh
item LEMAIRE, OLIVIER - INRA,UR-BIVV,FRANCE

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2005
Publication Date: 1/30/2006
Citation: Stevens, M., Liu, H., Lemaire, O. Virus Diseases. Draycott, A. Philip, editor. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK. Sugar Beet; Chapter 11. 2006. p. 256-285.

Interpretive Summary: Sugar beet is susceptible to a number of different viruses that can be transmitted by insects, fungi, nematodes, seed and/or physical contact. In this book chapter describes viruses which infect sugar beet. All of these viruses have the ability to decrease the potential yield of the root crop as well as affect the extractability of sugar by the processor. Certain viruses such as Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), the causal agent of rhizomania, have seriously damaged sugar yields in intense sugar beet producing regions of the world and this virus can dictate where beet can be grown if partially resistant varieties are not used. With the advance in molecular biology, most of the economically important sugar beet viruses have fully characterized and their DNA or RNA genomes sequenced. This has been particularly useful in understanding how theses viruses interact with plants and their vectors, and how they can be better controlled in the future. Such advances have enabled the development of highly specific and sensitive serological and molecular diagnostic methods that have helped to clarify the taxonomic position of certain viruses and their strains, such as the virus yellows complex, as well enabling the identification of new viral species and how sugar beet viruses can interact in the same plant.

Technical Abstract: Sugar beet is susceptible to a number of different viruses that can be transmitted by insects, fungi, nematodes, seed and/or physical contact. In this book chapter describes viruses which infect sugar beet. All of these viruses have the ability to decrease the potential yield of the root crop as well as affect the extractability of sugar by the processor. Certain viruses such as Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), the causal agent of rhizomania, have seriously damaged sugar yields in intense sugar beet producing regions of the world and this virus can dictate where beet can be grown if partially resistant varieties are not used. With the advance in molecular biology, most of the economically important sugar beet viruses have fully characterized and their DNA or RNA genomes sequenced. This has been particularly useful in understanding how theses viruses interact with plants and their vectors, and how they can be better controlled in the future. Such advances have enabled the development of highly specific and sensitive serological and molecular diagnostic methods that have helped to clarify the taxonomic position of certain viruses and their strains, such as the virus yellows complex, as well enabling the identification of new viral species and how sugar beet viruses can interact in the same plant.