Plant Health Initiative

Bean Pod Mottle Virus - Symptoms

Photo credit: Palle Pedersen, ISU

A typical leaf symptom of BPMV is a yellow and green blotchy appearance called leaf mottle. Young leaves show symptoms more severely than older leaves, sometimes with a raised or blistered appearance and distortion of leaves in the upper canopy.

Symptoms are most obvious during periods of rapid growth and cool temperatures. Sometimes symptoms resemble injury from herbicide drift. Symptoms go into remission during hot weather and later during the reproductive stages.

Unfortunately, the symptoms caused by BPMV are similar to those caused by other viruses. This makes it difficult to diagnose BPMV and most other viruses based on symptoms alone.

Serological tests can accurately detect and distinguish among suspected viruses. Most diagnostic clinics in the North Central region are able to perform these tests.

Seed mottle and green stem syndrome are other possible symptoms of BPMV that appear at soybean maturity.

A green streak, running left to right across this soybean field in early September shows symptoms of "green stem" from bean pod mottle virus. Photo credit: ISU Image Gallery		Seed discoloration, or mottling. Mottling is a brown or black bleeding from the the hilum, the scar where the seed was attached to the ovule. Photo credit: Craig Grau, University of Wisconsin