Diversity and ecology of bean pod mottle virus in Mississippi

Sequences of 33 Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) isolates collected from Mississippi were obtained from four regions of the viral genome. Sequences were compared mutually and to subgroups I and II type isolates. Mississippi isolates collected have greater similarity to subgroup II. Helicase sequences obtained from Mississippi isolates showed characteristics of isolates producing mild or moderate symptoms. Biological comparison of isolates from Mississippi confirmed predictions from molecular data.;Plant species were tested for susceptibility to BPMV. Seven of 52 species tested positive. Desmodium perplexum was infected by beetle feeding and served as an inoculum source for transmission of BPMV to soybeans. Beetle species collected from soybean and clover were tested to determine if they serve as BPMV vectors. Of eight species tested, Hypera postica transmitted BPMV to 1 of 14 test plants. Beetle overwintering transmission of BPMV was tested, but of 187 beetles collected, none transmitted the virus.