Response of cowpea lines to inoculation with four seed transmitted viruses of cowpea.

Ma Ittah,Jd Hughes,I Fawole,Sa Shoyinka

doi:10.4314/gjass.v9i1.62781

Abstract

This study evaluated the performance cowpea genotypes in the field in Ibadan, Nigeria for response to infection induced by four seed transmitted viruses of cowpea. The experiment was laid out in split plot design withthree replicates. Cowpea mottle virus genus Carmovirus (CMeV) produced infection in 14 of the 15 lines, Bean common mosaic virus genus Potyvirus - blackeye cowpea strain (BCMV – BlC) in 12, Cowpea aphid-borne mosaicvirus genus Potyvirus (CABMV) in 11 and Southern bean mosaic virus genus Sobemovirus (SBMV) in 6. BCMV – BlC significantly reduced (p

Highlights

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) is a tropical legume, which provides affordable protein for humans and animals in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America (Mishra et al, 1985; Singh and N’tare, 1985; Watt et al, 1985; Bashir and Hampton 1993; Tarawali et al, 2002)
The incidence of infection measured the spread of the diseases in the plots; all the plants in the Ife brown, IT82D-716, IT84S2246-4, IT96D-774, TVu 1190 and TVu 13686 plots inoculated with the BMCV – BlC virus were infected, all the plants in IT84S-2246-4 plot inoculated with Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus genus Potyvirus (CABMV) were infected
This study has compared the responses of cowpea cultivars to very destructive pathogens of the plant namely; Bean common mosaic virus genus Potyvirus - blackeye cowpea strain (BCMV – BlC), Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus genus Potyvirus (CABMV), Cowpea mottle virus genus Carmovirus (CMeV) and Southern bean mosaic virus genus Sobemovirus (SBMV)

Summary

Introduction

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) is a tropical legume, which provides affordable protein for humans and animals in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America (Mishra et al, 1985; Singh and N’tare, 1985; Watt et al, 1985; Bashir and Hampton 1993; Tarawali et al, 2002). Seeing the value of the crop and in support that its production should be increased, Coulibaly and Lowenberg - DeBoer (2002) stated that cowpea has the potential to contribute to food security and reduce poverty in West Africa, provided that both socioeconomic and biological constraints are adequately tackled. Such socio – economic and biological constraints include poor management of resources, poor application of appropriate cultural technologies, infestation by weeds and insect pests, and infection by diseases (Jackai and Adalla, 1997; Quin, 1997). Seed transmitted viruses hiding in seeds in storage retain their ability to cause infection for many years even after the seeds had lost viability (Bennett, 1969)

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