Cotton leaf curl virus

Cotton leaf curl virus is a serious viral disease caused by pathogens of the genus Begomovirus. As a DNA virus, it infects cotton plants by hijacking their cellular machinery, causing severe physiological stress and developmental abnormalities that can drastically reduce the quality and yield of cotton fiber.

The primary host for this pathogen is the cotton plant (Gossypium spp.). The virus is particularly prevalent in regions with intensive agricultural production. While it primarily targets cotton, it can also persist in various alternative weed hosts, making it difficult to eradicate once it establishes in an area.

The clinical signs of the disease are quite distinctive: upward curling of leaf margins, yellowing of veins (vein clearing), and characteristic leaf-like outgrowths known as enations on the underside of the leaves. Infected plants often show stunted growth, reduced canopy development, and limited reproductive success due to flower and boll shedding.

Transmission occurs exclusively through the feeding activity of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. This vector acts as a carrier, acquiring the virus from infected tissues and transmitting it to healthy plants. Environmental factors such as high temperatures and relative humidity favor the rapid proliferation of whitefly populations, thereby accelerating the spread of the disease across fields.

Management of the virus relies on an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Key strategies involve the deployment of virus-resistant cotton cultivars, systematic control of whitefly populations through judicious pesticide use, and rigorous sanitation practices, including the removal of infected plants and surrounding weed vegetation to minimize the viral reservoir.

• Planting resistant or tolerant cotton genotypes.
• Timely chemical control of the whitefly vector.
• Field sanitation to eliminate alternative virus hosts.
• Implementation of host-free periods to break the disease cycle.