PCR and DNA Hybridization Methods for Specific Detection of Bean-Infecting Begomoviruses in the Americas and...

Begomoviruses are a major problem for common bean production in the tropics and subtropics of the Americas and the Caribbean. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pairs and nucleic acid hybridization probes have been developed to differentiate five bean-infecting begomoviruses and were used to assay reference and field-collected bean samples from Florida, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Bean golden mosaic virus was found in Brazil, Bean calico mosaic virus in Mexico, and Bean golden yellow mosaic virus in Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Bean dwarf mosaic virus was not detected in any of the field samples. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus was found only in tomato samples from the Caribbean. These detection methods will provide tools to assist in the understanding of the epidemiology and diversity of geminiviruses as well as to facilitate resistance breeding, cultivar selection, and development of strategies for control.