Serological Detection of Viruses Infecting Okra in Cross River State, Nigeria

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentusL.) also known as lady’s finger in England is an important vegetable crop of the family Malvaceaegrowing throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of Asia, Africa, and the USA for food, fibre, Gum, starch, spices, and medicinal purposes. The viral disease is a major constraint to okra production worldwide. A visit to some okra farms during the 2022 planting season revealed evidence of wide spread virus infection with infected crops exhibiting mosaic, mottling, and leaf malformation resulting in poor yield. Thirty (30) infected leaf samples were collected from different okra fields and tested using virus-specific antisera which included Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), Okra Leaf Curl Virus (OkLCV), Okra Mosaic Virus (OkMV), and Black eye Cowpea Mosaic Virus (BiCMV). The results revealed that out of the 30 samples tested, 15 tested positive for CMV which constitutes 50% of the total virus identified followed by OkMV and BiCMV which infected 6 samples for each virus constituting 20 % of virus detected, and OkLMV infected only 3 samples constituting 10 % of total virus detected. This study has revealedthat CMV is widespread in Cross River State Nigeria. Reports abound on the detection of okra viruses in northern Nigeria. Furthermore, this is the first report of wide-scale detection of viruses infecting okra in southern Nigeria.