A Threat to U.S. Soybean Production

Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) is widespread in the major soybean-growing areas in the southern and southeastern United States. A severe outbreak of BPMV in the north central and northern Great Plains states is currently causing serious concern to soybean growers and to the soybean industry in this region (30). BPMV is efficiently transmitted in nature, within and between soybean fields, by several species of leaf-feeding beetles. The deleterious effects of BPMV infection not only reduce yield but also reduce seed quality, as seeds from infected plants may be discolored. Furthermore, BPMV predisposes soybeans to Phomopsis spp. seed infection (85), a major cause of poor seed quality in soybean (78). The recent BPMV outbreak is linked to the warm winters of the past few years that have allowed the beetle vectors to overwinter and emerge in the spring in unprecedented numbers (Fig. 1).