Solanum ghanense begomovirus

Begomovirus solanumghanaense is a plant viral pathogen belonging to the Begomovirus genus. This virus is characterized by a circular single-stranded DNA genome and acts as an obligate parasite, primarily infecting members of the Solanaceae family.

The primary hosts for this virus are essential economic crops such as tomatoes and eggplants. The pathogen presents a significant risk to horticultural industries, causing severe physiological disturbances that inhibit normal plant development and reproduction.

Symptoms of the infection typically manifest as severe leaf curling, mosaic patterns, yellowing, and stunted growth. Infected plants often show significant deformation of foliage and abnormal development of fruits, which severely limits the marketable yield of the agricultural crop.

The virus is primarily transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in a circulative persistent manner. The insect acquires the virus during feeding and maintains the ability to transmit it throughout its lifespan, which leads to rapid outbreaks within crop fields, especially in warm climates.

Management and prevention strategies focus on integrated pest management (IPM) to control whitefly populations using systemic and contact insecticides. Additional measures include:

• Maintaining strict field hygiene to remove reservoir weeds.
• Using certified virus-free seeds and seedlings.
• Implementing spatial isolation between newly planted and older infected fields.
• Utilizing physical barriers like insect-proof nets in greenhouses.