Pepper Mali begomovirus

Pathogen and disease nature. Pepper Mali begomovirus (Begomovirus capsicummaliense) is a member of the Geminiviridae family. It is a persistent, circular, single-stranded DNA virus that invades the plant's vascular tissue. By hijacking the host plant's replication machinery, the virus disrupts nutrient transport and causes severe physiological stress.

Host range. The primary agricultural host for this virus is the sweet and chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). However, the virus exhibits a broad range of alternative hosts, including various wild Solanaceae weeds. These wild species serve as a dangerous reservoir, allowing the virus to persist in the ecosystem even in the absence of cultivated peppers.

Symptoms and signs. Typical clinical features of the infection include bright yellow mosaic patterns on leaves, severe curling, and stunting of the entire plant. Affected plants often exhibit shortened internodes, leading to a bushy appearance. Fruit production is significantly hampered, resulting in small, distorted, and unmarketable yields that lack proper size and color.

Conditions for development. The spread of Begomovirus capsicummaliense is inextricably linked to its insect vector, the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). The virus is acquired by whiteflies during feeding and is then transmitted to healthy plants. Warm, dry weather conditions facilitate the rapid proliferation and migration of these insect vectors, dramatically increasing the incidence of viral outbreaks in pepper fields.

Harmfulness and protection. The economic impact is devastating, often leading to total crop failure if infection occurs during the seedling stage. Management requires an integrated approach:

• Rigorous control of the whitefly population using effective insecticides.
• Use of virus-resistant or tolerant pepper varieties.
• Physical exclusion (using insect-proof nets in greenhouses).
• Effective weeding of reservoir plants near production sites.
• Implementing strict quarantine and sanitation procedures for transplants.