Cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV)

Introduction
The genus Badnavirus and family Caulimoviridae include the cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV).
The virus is naturally spread by some species of mealybugs, and its main host is Theobroma
cacao. In West Africa, notably in Ghana, CSSV is a significant obstacle to the production of
cocoa. The requirement to index cocoa germplasm for this virus hinders global efforts to
improve crops, especially if the germplasm is being transported to regions where highly
sensitive kids are grown. Within the first year after infection, cocoa yield declines, and the tree
typically dies a few years later. Symptoms differ by strain, but generally speaking, die-back,
stem/root edema, and leaf discoloration happen. Mealybug vectors carry the virus from tree to
tree. It was originally found in Ghana in 1936 and is currently endemic in Togo, Ghana, and
Nigeria. Since it has already killed over 200 million trees, Ghana has launched the most
comprehensive and expensive eradication operation in the world against a viral plant disease.

Body
The Caulimoviridae family of plant pathogenic viruses includes the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus
(CSSV), which mostly affects cacao trees.

Kingdom: Pararnavirae
Phylum: Artverviricota
Class: Revtraviricetes
Order: Ortervirales
Family: Caulimoviridae
Genus: Badnavirus
Species: Cacao swollen shoot virus

One of the most destructive diseases affecting cacao is the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease
(CSSVD), which kills cacao trees and results in severe production losses. The badnavirus that
causes the CSSVD is a member of the Caulimoviridae family. Mealybugs that are carriers for
the virus spread it as they move through the cacao canopy while feeding.
The disease known as cocoa swollen shoot virus is spread by Infected budwood with
contagious mealybugs. The danger If mealybugs and other pests are controlled, the risk of the
diseaseLive plant material is not purposefully moved or accidentally from location to location.

The primary symptoms include: stem/root swelling followed by die-back; stem/root necrosis; red
vein banding in immature leaves; small mottled pods; leaf chlorosis (interveinal); and root
necrosis. Any time the cocoa plant is exposed to the cocoa swollen shoot virus
development stage. The illness results in a variety of symptoms that vary based on the viral
strain, the stage of infection and the cocoa variety's vulnerability. Amelonado
types of cocoa are particularly prone to infection and Plants with illness display these typical
signs:
• In immature leaves, reddening of the major veins called "banding"
• Yellow bands lining the leaf's primary veins
• Vein clearing in leaves, which occasionally results in a "fernlike"
pattern
• Mature leaves that have chlorosis, or flecking and mottling
• Stem and root enlargements (certain mild viral strains);
avoid making diseased plants bulge.
• Pods have unusual shapes, typically smaller and spherical

Virus transmission
The CSSV, or cocoa swollen shoot virus, can spread.
while being fed by a variety of mealybug species,
feed on the cocoa plant's sap. Both groups' afflicted young Adult females of both sexes and
other sexes can spread the virus to nearby Crawling across interlocking branches of strong
trees. Mealybugs can potentially spread to other plants because they can be either by wind,
animals, insects, or people. CSSV is not considered to be transmitted via cocoa seeds, though
the virus has been shared with other experimental cocoa plants via mechanical grafting
inoculation. Since the virus has been discovered to infect and alternatively, bring about sickness
host trees develop in and close to a cocoa farm. When a cocoa tree matures, it has a CSSV
infection, it cannot be healed. However, a number of ways to control CSSVD have been
employed with varied levels of success: 'Cutting-out' or removal of sick plants, barrier crops, and
the creation of resistant or less vulnerable types.

Disease cycle and epidemiology

The 7.4 kb double-stranded circular DNA genome of the cacao swollen-shoot virus is bacilliform
in shape. It primarily spreads via mealybug (Pseudococcidae) vectors. The virus uses the host
to multiply once it has entered the host.

Theobroma cacao (the cacao tree) is the primary host of the cacao swollen-shoot virus (CSSV),
which has a significant impact on crop output. After infection, yields fall by 25% after a year and
by 50% after two years. Usually, the trees die after three to four years. The symptoms change
based on the virus strain. The Caulimoviridae family of plant pathogenic viruses includes the
Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV), which mostly affects cacao trees. Within the first year after
infection, cocoa yield declines, and the tree typically dies a few years later.

Management
Over the years, an integrated approach to CSSVD management has been used in Ghana. This
approach includes the use of various strategies, including the cutting out method, mealybug
control, removal of alternative hosts, and the use of tolerant planting materials. The following
discussion covers these control strategies as well as some of their drawbacks.

Since 1946, the primary strategy used to stop the spread of the virus has been cutting out sick
cocoa trees and a ring of neighboring, seemingly healthy trees. This approach aims to decrease
or remove the inoculums (sources of infection) in newly planted cocoa plants. The land is
anticipated to be replanted with CSSVD tolerant cocoa cultivars from the seed gardens after the
affected cocoa trees have been removed. The implementation of this strategy has encountered
a number of difficulties, which has caused the virus to continue spreading to new locations.

Despite the fact that many of these difficulties are related, a few stand out: late infection
discovery, lack of program continuity, farmer resistance due to problems with compensation
payments, problems with land tenure, and disregard for advice on replanting after infection
sources have been eliminated.

Conclusion

Different signs can be seen in the leaves, stems, roots, and pods of infected cacao plants. In
immature leaves, these symptoms include red vein banding that may be followed by vein
clearing or chlorosis. Swellings in stems, roots, and chupons, as well as distortion in pod shape
and size, with affected pods becoming practically round or spherical, are additional symptoms
that may appear concurrently with or after the leaf symptoms. All of these symptoms have a
negative impact on the cocoa tree's physiological response.
CSSVD can only be eradicated by cutting down the affected plant or farm and replanting it with
healthy planting materials. Although this procedure is exceedingly expensive, since the
program's inception in 1946, a little over 300 million sick cacao trees have been removed.

In addition to the method of eradication, a number of measures have been advocated over time
to slow the spread of the disease, including barrier cropping by isolating cacao fields, biological
control of the CSSV mealybug vector, and removal of alternate host plants.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cacao-swollen-shoot-v
irus#:~:text=Cacao%20swollen%20shoot%20virus%20(CSSV,naturally%20transmitted%20by%
20mealybugs%20species.

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/68225

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8775274/#:~:text=The%20cocoa%20swollen%20
shoot%20virus,badnavirus%20within%20the%20family%20Caulimoviridae.

Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus

E. Muller, in Encyclopedia of Virology (Third Edition), 2008

George A. Ameyaw
Submitted: January 30th, 2019 Reviewed: May 22nd, 2019 Published: July 20th, 2019

Field evaluation of the impact of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease infection on yield traits of
different cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) clones in Ghana
Atta Ofori, Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration,
Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Francis K. Padi,
Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing, [...], and Frank O. Ansah,
Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Validation, Writing – review & editing