Identification of three viruses from Pisum sativum in South Africa

Viruses were isolated from three pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i>) plants from different regions in South Africa. Plant 91/0394, from George, Western Cape Province, displayed interveinal chlorosis of the upper leaves with chlorotic flecks and downward leaf curl. Virus isolated from this plant was identified as pea enation mosaic virus based on ELISA tests. The second plant, 94/1969, from Brits, North West Province, showed severe mosaic symptoms. Broad bean wilt virus was identified from it by immunoelectron microscopy. The third plant, 95/0931, from Pretoria, Gauteng Province, displayed yellow mosaic and vein-clearing symptoms and flexuous potyvirus-like particles were seen when viewed with an electron microscope. The nucleotide sequence of the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) and part of the coat protein gene of the virus isolated was 98.5% homologous to the pea mosaic virus-1 strain of bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV). The first two viruses (91/0394 and 94/1969) represent viruses not previously reported on pea in South Africa and the other isolate (95/0931) confirms previous reports of BYMV on pea in South Africa