OCCURRENCE AND PRELIMINARY EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES OF CHLOROTIC VEIN-BANDING VIRUS-DISEASE OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA L) IN ANDHRA-PRADESH, INDIA

A virus isolate causing chlorotic vein-banding (CVB) symptoms on groun dnut, serologically related to peanut chlorotic streak virus (PCISV), was collected from farmers' fields in the Rayalaseema area of Andhra P radesh (A.P.). It was named PCISV-CVB. Commercial groundnut field surv eys for the occurrence of the disease during the rainy seasons of July -November of 1986, 1987, and 1990 indicated its wide distribution in t he Rayalaseema area although the disease incidence was <1% at many sur veyed places except at some places in the district of Anantapur (<1-60 %). The virus-infected groundnut plants, mapped in three commercial fi elds near Mudigubba, Anantapur district, during the 1990 rainy season, were clustered towards the edges of the fields. Pupalia leppaceae, Ca ssia auriculata, and Rhyncosia capitata were identified as alternate w eed hosts of the virus. Groundnut varieties ICGV 86522 and ICG(FDRS)4 were found to be resistant to PCISV-CVB infection. The virus decreased the shoot length by 44 and 64%, and dry weight of pods by 38 and 85%, in late and early infected plants, respectively.