Yield losses in virus‐infected crops

Abstract

Virus disease is not considered as a major cause of crop losses by some authorities on agricultural economy, although past and recent specialized literature has stressed the importance of several virus diseases in reducing crop productivity. This review considers data published from 1988 to 1995 on loss estimation in virus‐infected crops, and analyzes the major factors affecting such losses (type of cultivar, mature plant resistance, incidence of field infection, symptom severity, etc.). A short discussion on the physiological basis of crop losses is also presented.

Analysis of the data clearly confirms the marked effect of virus diseases on crop yield, whose control brings heavy economic cost. Accurate analysis of losses caused by virus diseases and the profits arising from successful control of the infections should be performed for single crops in every region or country to estimate the potential gain.

Key words:

• Virus diseases
• crop losses
• plant viruses