DOI: 10.1111/ppa.70224 ISSN: 0032-0862
From Seed to Field: Investigating Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus (
CPMMV
) Persistence in Soybean Seeds
Bárbara Rafaella Rodrigues Silveira, Ana Clara R. V. Moreira, Caroline da Cruz Martines, Pedro Henrique Ribeiro, Guido Aguilar Sanchez, Viviane da Silva Aros Pereira, Felipe Barreto da Silva, Marcos R. Ribeiro‐Junior, Renate Krause‐Sakate ABSTRACT
Brazil is the world's leading producer and exporter of soybean (
Glycine max
). Cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV) is an important carlavirus, transmitted by the whitefly
Bemisia tabaci
(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and affects soybean production. Recently, soybean producers have reported an increase in whitefly incidence in the field, and our laboratory has consequently received a high number of soybean samples infected with CPMMV. To identify the possible source of CPMMV inoculum in soybean fields, this study aimed to assess the potential for CPMMV seed transmission in different soybean genotypes. Leaf samples from 10 soybean genotypes were collected from commercial fields. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to reverse transcription (RT)‐PCR to confirm CPMMV infection. All evaluated genotypes tested positive for CPMMV, with infection rates ranging from 74% to 100%. At the end of the soybean cycle, seeds from these genotypes were collected, planted in trials and maintained in a greenhouse. When the first trifoliate leaf emerged, total RNA was extracted and tested for CPMMV via RT‐PCR. Of the 10 evaluated soybean genotypes, seven exhibited CPMMV transmission through seeds, with transmission rates ranging from 0.2% to 1.4%. Infected seedlings displayed mottling, yellow mosaic, blistering and leaf curling, although some infected plants remained asymptomatic. Our study highlights the importance of seeds as a primary inoculum source of CPMMV in soybean fields and raises concerns about soybean seed production in areas where whiteflies and CPMMV occur at high incidence.