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Is this Okra mosaic virus? #842823

Asked July 27, 2023, 9:23 AM EDT

Is this okra mosaic virus? Do I need to get rid of the bed of okra? Will removing leaves and treating for whiteflies slow the progression?

Baltimore City County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi- we are not sure what is causing the symptoms. There are some minor leaf spot diseases that can infect okra (alternaria, cercospora, phyllosticta) but the very large number of small black spots evenly distributed on the leaves in the photos doesn't seem consistent with these diseases.

Yellow vein mosaic virus causes vein clearing followed by a change in leaf tissue color between leaf veins from green to yellow-white. Fruits would also show symptoms- small in size and yellow-white in color. Tiny dark spots are not mentioned as a symptom of yellow vein mosaic virus. We cannot find any reports of this disease being present in our region.

If the plants are not putting out any healthy new growth you may want to pull up and dispose of the plants. If other plants are growing well in the same bed, the issue is probably not soil- or nutrient-related. If you leave the plants please let us know if symptoms change or worsen. We are stumped.
Jon
Thank you so much! We'll keep an eye on the plants and keep you posted!

Joy

On Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 10:35 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied July 27, 2023, 1:36 PM EDT

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