Role of quarantine in exclusion of transboundary plant viruses: a developing country’s perspective
Celia Chalam Vasimalla: ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
<div>The global movement of agricultural produce has the potential to introduce new pests including viruses endangering the agriculture of importing country. Viruses are one of the important yield-reducing factors in crops. The imported germplasm including transgenics is subjected to quarantine processing at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. The strategies for exclusion of viruses in quarantine include post-entry quarantine growing/inspection, electron microscopy, ELISA and RT-PCR. Forty five viruses were intercepted during the past two decades including 19 viruses: <em>Barley stripe mosaic virus</em>, <em>Bean mild mosaic virus, Bean pod mottle virus</em>, <em>Broad bean mottle virus, Broad bean stain virus,</em> <em>Broad bean true mosaic virus</em>, <em>Cherry leaf roll virus</em>, <em>Cowpea mottle virus, Cowpea severe mosaic virus, </em>Dioscorea latent virus,<em> Garlic virus C</em>, High plains virus,<em> Maize chlorotic mottle virus</em>, <em>Pea enation mosaic virus</em>, <em>Peanut sunt virus</em>, <em>Pepino mosaic virus, Raspberry ringspot virus, Tomato</em> <em>ringspot virus</em> and <em>Wheat streak mosaic virus</em> not reported and 21 viruses not known to occur on particular host(s) in India. The introduction of 19 exotic viruses was averted. Availability of antisera, viral genome sequences, detecting an unknown/ exotic virus etc., are the key challenges in virus detection in quarantine. The right strategy and appropriate technique for virus detection are essential to ensure biosecurity of crops from transboundary plant viruses.</div>
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