Beet leaf curl virus (BLCV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family

Rhabdoviridae ''Rhabdoviridae'' is a family of negative-strand RNA viruses in the order ''Mononegavirales''. Vertebrates (including mammals and humans), invertebrates, plants, fungi and protozoans serve as natural hosts. Diseases associated with member viru ...

. The host range for this virus includes species of '' Atriplex'', '' Beta'', ''

Chenopodium ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classific ...

'' and ''

Spinacia ''Spinacia'' is a flowering plant genus in the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae. The most common member is spinach. Description The species in genus ''Spinacia'' are annual or biennial herbs. Plants are always glabrous. ...

'' and also ''

Tetragonia tetragonioides ''Tetragonia tetragonioides'', commonly called New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens and other local names, is a flowering plant in the fig-marigold family (Aizoaceae). It is often cultivated as a leafy vegetable. It is a widespread species, nat ...

''. The most important hosts however are

sugarbeet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wit ...

and fodder beet. BLCV is found in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. The vector for BCLV is '' Piesma quadratum'', the beet lace bug. Both adults and nymphs acquire the virus when feeding continuously for at least thirty minutes and need to feed for at least forty minutes in order to inoculate the virus into new host plants. The vectors remains infective for the rest of their lives.Proeseler, G. (1983) Beet leaf curl virus. CMI/AAB Descriptions of Plant Viruses No. 268. Association of Applied Biologists, Wellesbourne, UK. The virus migrates to the salivary glands, haemolymph and intestinal wall and is thought to multiply in both the adult and larval stages of the insect. It does not seem to be transmissible mechanically or by seed. Dry plant material remains infectious for up to seven days and for twelve weeks at −20 °C. The disease manifests itself by an initial translucence of the leaf veins and petioles which later become swollen and grow more slowly than the rest of the leaf causing it to crinkle. A bunch of small, curved new leaves form in the plant's crown creating a head somewhat resembling a lettuce. Growth in general slows down and the older leaves die. The disease is mostly found in central Europe in areas with light sandy soils. The loss of yield in sugarbeet can be up to 75% and the sugar content of the beets may be considerally reduced.Hoffmann, G.H.; Schmutterer, H. (1983) Parasitäre Krankheiten und Schädlinge an landwirtschaftlichen Kulturpflanzen, 488 pp. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, Germany.

References

External links

ICTVdB—The Universal Virus Database: Beet leaf curl virus (BLCV)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4880160 Viral plant pathogens and diseases Nucleorhabdoviruses