The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa
Common bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.), the world’s most widely grown legume crop, is not only of great commercial importance but is also a vital smallholder crop in low-to-medium-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa common bean provides consumers with a major proportion of their...
| Published in: | Agriculture |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/17/1808 |
| _version_ | 1849286118755794944 |
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| author | Trisna D. Tungadi Francis O. Wamonje Netsai M. Mhlanga Alex M. Murphy Warren Arinaitwe John P. Carr |
| author_facet | Trisna D. Tungadi Francis O. Wamonje Netsai M. Mhlanga Alex M. Murphy Warren Arinaitwe John P. Carr |
| author_sort | Trisna D. Tungadi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | Agriculture |
| description | Common bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.), the world’s most widely grown legume crop, is not only of great commercial importance but is also a vital smallholder crop in low-to-medium-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa common bean provides consumers with a major proportion of their dietary protein and micronutrients. However, productivity is constrained by viruses, particularly those vectored by aphids and whiteflies, and problems are further compounded by seed-borne transmission. We describe common bean’s major viral threats including the aphid-transmitted RNA viruses bean common mosaic virus and bean common mosaic necrosis virus, and the whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses bean golden mosaic virus and bean golden yellow mosaic virus and discuss how high-throughput sequencing is revealing emerging threats. We discuss how recent work on indirect and direct viral ‘manipulation’ of vector behaviour is influencing modelling of viral epidemics. Viral extended phenotypes also modify legume interactions with beneficial organisms including root-associated microbes, pollinators and the natural enemies of vectors. While problems with common bean tissue culture have constrained transgenic and gene editing approaches to crop protection, topical application of double-stranded RNA molecules could provide a practical protection system compatible with the wide diversity of common bean lines grown in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5bcd303ff2d64f6ebcc5e8ccb7847dc6 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-5bcd303ff2d64f6ebcc5e8ccb7847dc62025-09-12T12:10:47ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-08-011517180810.3390/agriculture15171808The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan AfricaTrisna D. Tungadi0Francis O. Wamonje1Netsai M. Mhlanga2Alex M. Murphy3Warren Arinaitwe4John P. Carr5School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Newcastle ST5 5BG, UKNiab, Cambridge CB3 0LE, UKNiab, Cambridge CB3 0LE, UKDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UKInternational Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi P.O. Box 823-00621, KenyaDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UKCommon bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.), the world’s most widely grown legume crop, is not only of great commercial importance but is also a vital smallholder crop in low-to-medium-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa common bean provides consumers with a major proportion of their dietary protein and micronutrients. However, productivity is constrained by viruses, particularly those vectored by aphids and whiteflies, and problems are further compounded by seed-borne transmission. We describe common bean’s major viral threats including the aphid-transmitted RNA viruses bean common mosaic virus and bean common mosaic necrosis virus, and the whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses bean golden mosaic virus and bean golden yellow mosaic virus and discuss how high-throughput sequencing is revealing emerging threats. We discuss how recent work on indirect and direct viral ‘manipulation’ of vector behaviour is influencing modelling of viral epidemics. Viral extended phenotypes also modify legume interactions with beneficial organisms including root-associated microbes, pollinators and the natural enemies of vectors. While problems with common bean tissue culture have constrained transgenic and gene editing approaches to crop protection, topical application of double-stranded RNA molecules could provide a practical protection system compatible with the wide diversity of common bean lines grown in sub-Saharan Africa.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/17/1808pulse cropsrhizobiumviral mutualismarthropod vectors<i>Begomovirus</i><i>Potyviridae</i> |
| spellingShingle | Trisna D. Tungadi Francis O. Wamonje Netsai M. Mhlanga Alex M. Murphy Warren Arinaitwe John P. Carr The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa pulse crops rhizobium viral mutualism arthropod vectors <i>Begomovirus</i> <i>Potyviridae</i> |
| title | The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full | The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_fullStr | The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_short | The Complex Interactions of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) with Viruses, Vectors and Beneficial Organisms in the Context of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_sort | complex interactions of common bean i phaseolus vulgaris i l with viruses vectors and beneficial organisms in the context of sub saharan africa |
| topic | pulse crops rhizobium viral mutualism arthropod vectors <i>Begomovirus</i> <i>Potyviridae</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/17/1808 |
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