Virus and Virus-like Diseases of Plants in Ethiopia

Abstract

Viruses are the second most important plant disease agents, next to fungi, causing severe crop losses worldwide (Matthews 1991). The occurrence of plant virus diseases in Ethiopia was first reported by Stewart & Dagnachew (1967) who listed a number of virus-like symptoms on different plants. A systematic research on plant viruses was started in 1977 after the establishment of the then Scientific Phytopathological Laboratory at Ambo (now Plant Protection Research Center). Since then, various types of plant viruses and virus diseases have been identified and some of them were investigated in a good detail by researchers from within and outside Ethiopia.
Most of the results were documented in various national and international publications. However, a comprehensive review to bring this scattered information together has not been available. In this paper therefore, information on plant virus and virus-like diseases so far reported in Ethiopia is presented with description of the symptoms in the major hosts and means of natural spread for economically important viruses as well as their geographical distribution where known.