Identification and Characterization of Bean yellow mosaic virus Infecting Freesia

Freesia is popularly cultivated in Northern India for its cut flower production. In a survey of freesia in Northern India, plants under green house cultivation were found to show chlorotic spots on leaves. Samples were collected and the causal agent was identified to be Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Complete coat protein (CP) gene and 3' UTR sequence of the isolate was determined. The sequence had less than 98 Per cent Nucleotide Identity (PNI). Phylogenetic analysis with other BYMV isolates showed highest similarity with most of the isolates reported from gladiolus, from different countries. The study reveals the molecular characterization of BYMV infecting Freesia for the first time. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of BYMV infecting Freesia in India