Cauliflower mosaic disease is caused by the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). It infects cruciferous plants like cauliflower and cabbage. CaMV is a pararetrovirus with a circular double-stranded DNA genome. It is transmitted by the aphid Myzus persicae in a semi-persistent and non-circulative manner. Symptoms include mosaic patterns, leaf deformation, stunting and yellowing. The disease causes significant yield losses worldwide. Management involves controlling the aphid vector through insecticide application.

1. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
(Affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-3)
Kullapuram (Po),ViaVaigai Dam, Theni-625 562
CAULIFLOWER MOSAIC DISEASE
Submitted by Course teacher
Rakesh. V Dr. Parthasarathy. S
2015021104 Assistant. Professor., (Plant Pathology)

2. Disease name : Cauliflower Mosaic disease
Pathogen name: Cauliflower mosaic virus
Hosts: Cauliflower, cabbage, other crucifers.

3. Systematic position
Domain: Virus
Group: Group VII (ds DNA-RT)
Family: Caulimoviridae
Genus: Caulimovirus
Species: Cauliflower mosaic virus

4. History
 CaMV affects the plant development, especially in early infections
when also the inflorescence is prevented. Low seed yields have been
also reported (Sutic et al., 1999).
 CaMV incidence can easily exceed 70% and subsequent yields may
be reduced up to 20-50% (Shepherd, 1981. Sutic et al., 1999).
 All CaMV isolates are able to infect a wide variety of cruciferous
plants, but only a few of them can infect species of the family
Solanaceae, including Datura and Nicotiana genera (Gracia and
Shepherd, 1985. Lung and Pirone, 1972. Schoelz et al., 1986).

5. Distribution
• World: India, Israel, Iran, Africa, North America and
Europe.
• India: Himachal pradesh, Assam, Uttar pradesh and West
Bengal.

6. Report
 First reported in Brassica campestris and
B. oleracea from the U.S.A. by Tompkins (1937).

7. Symptoms
.

8. Symptoms associated with natural infections by
CaMV
 Mosaic banding.
 Vein-clearing.
 Leaf deformation, rugosity, stunting.
 Necrotic spots.
 Yellowing.

9. Pathogen Characters
 The CaMV particle is an icosahedron with a diameter of 52 nm
built from 420 capsid protein (CP) subunits.
 CaMV contains a circular double-stranded DNA molecule .
 Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is the type species of the
family Caulimoviridae.
 Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is a member of the
genus Caulimovirus, one of the six genera in
the Caulimoviridae family, which are pararetroviruses that
infect plants and replicate through reverse transcription just
like retroviruses, but the viral particles contain DNA.

10. ORF I – Movement Protein,
ORF II – Insect Transmission Factor,
ORF III – Structural protein,
 DNA-binding capbilities.
ORF IV – Capsid Protein.
ORF V – Reverse Transcriptase
 RNaseH
ORF VI – Translational Activator.
ORF VII – Unknown.

11. Electron microscope view of CaMV

12. Vector and Transmission
Vector : Myzus persicae
Transmission : Semi persistent and non-circulative

13. Rolling Circle Amplification (Vector-mediated CaMV
transmission)

14. Management
• Control of aphid vectors through the use of insecticides
like metasystox (0.1%) at an appropriate stage is helpful
in reducing the spread of the disease.

15. References
• Gupta.S.K., R.C.Sharma, Monica sharma, 2017.,
Diseases of vegetable ornamental and spice crops,
Pg.No.50-63.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower_mosaic_virus.
• https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/15099.