Viral Diseases of Cultivated Legume and Cereal Crops in Tunisia

Abstract

A survey to identify virus diseases affecting legume (chickpea, faba bean and lentil) and cereal (bread and
durum wheat and barley) crops at different locations in Tunisia was conducted in April, 2000. Thirty-eight legume
fields (34 faba bean, 3 chickpea and one lentil) and 43 cereal fields (21 durum wheat, 7 bread wheat and 15 barley)
were randomly selected. The identity of the viruses and virus disease incidence was determined on 100-200 randomly
collected samples and 20-25 symptomatic samples from each field by testing samples against antisera of 12 legume
and 6 cereal viruses. In the faba bean fields, Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV) and Beet western yellows virus (BWYV)
were the most common followed by Faba bean necrotic yellows virus (FBNYV). In cereal fields, Barley stripe mosaic
virus (BSMV) was the most common followed by Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and Barley yellow striate mosaic
virus (BYSMV). Two faba bean fields had a virus disease incidence of 21% or higher at the time of the survey and two
cereal fields had a virus disease incidence of more than 6%. The highest incidences found were 24.5% (BWYV and/or
FBNYV) in the Siliana region and 23% (BBMV and/or BWYV) in the Jendouba region, both in faba bean fields, and
10.5% (BSMV) in a barley field in the Cap-Bon region. Other viruses, such as Broad bean stain virus (BBSV), Bean
leaf roll virus (BLRV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in legumes, and Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) in cereals were
rare.