Bidens mottle virus

Bidens mottle virus is a pathogenic plant virus in the plant virus family Potyviridae. It is transmitted both mechanically by sap and by aphids in a stylet-borne fashion.

Since its discovery and first characterization, BiMoV has been found to infect many other host plants including lettuce, endive and sunflower.

Symptoms
As with all plant viruses, the symptoms exhibited on an infected plant depend on the plant species. Symptoms of BiMoV in various hosts have been described as mild to severe mottling, slight to severe leaf distortion, vein clearing and stunting. It can cause flower break symptoms and flower abortion in some hosts and at least one host has been found that shows no visible symptoms.

Cultural
Control measures for all plant viruses include prevention and eradication. Bidens mottle virus can be avoided in field crops such as lettuce and endive or in bedding plants such as Ageratum by the removal of weed hosts from areas surrounding the crops and control of aphids. For greenhouse ornamentals propagated by vegetative means, like Fittonia, control requires the removal of infected plants from the propagation stock and the sanitation of tools used in the propagation process.