Effect of Okra Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (OYVMV) on Plant Growth and Yield

Okra yellow vein mosaic virus (OYVMV) is one of the most destructive diseases of okra plant. In the current study, effect of okra yellow vein mosaic virus (OYVMV) was assessed on plant growth and yield in naturally infected crop under agro-ecological conditions of Hyderabad district. The virus showed the significant reduction in plant height, number of leaves, flowers, fruits, and over all pickings and yield of all the locations wherever the crop was examined in the district. The significant reduction in plant height (48.67 cm) in infected plants as compared to healthy plants (62.96 cm) was recorded. Similarly, significant difference in the flowers formation per plant at all four locations was recorded in diseased (0.912) and healthy (2.165) plants. Fruit weight was also significantly reducing due to the disease prevalence at all four locations (73.25 g) as compared to healthy observed fruits (91.50 g). Interestingly, on overall basis there were more numbers of leaves (20.66) in infected plants as compared to healthy one (16.33). It is obvious from the results that virus (OYVMV) showed significant increase in number of leaves but reduced plant height, flowers, fruits and yield at all four observed locations, thus, pathologists and breeders are advised to work more on evaluation of resistant varieties using advanced molecular tools. The growers are also advised to adopt preventive as well as curative control measures so that the yield losses may be decreased