First report of beet necrotic yellow vein benyvirus in Syria
Surveys were carried out in Syria during 1996-1998 to detect rhizomania (beet necrotic yellow vein benyvirus - EPPO A2 quarantine pest). 2019 samples were collected from 290 sugar beet fields in Homs, Aleppo and Hama governorates and were tested by DAS-ELISA. Results showed that rhizomania is the most severe virus disease on sugar beet in Syria. In the Homs governorate, the disease was particularly severe in the region of Qsair, where 79 % of the fields were infected with an average disease incidence of 44 %. In the Aleppo governorate, similar results were obtained with 76 % of infected fields and an average disease incidence of 41 %. In the governorate of Hama, 16 % fields were found infected with a disease incidence of 16 %. The EPPO Secretariat had previously no data on the occurrence of beet necrotic yellow vein benyvirus in Syria.
Sources
Al-Chaabi, S.; Esmael, F.; Mando, J.; Darwesh, A.; Numan, S.; Matrod, L. (1999) A survey of rhizomania disease on sugar beet and evaluation of monogerm cultivars performance to disease (BNYVV) in Syria.
Arab and Near East Plant Protection Newsletter, FAO, no. 28, p 29.