First Report of Cotton Leaf Curl Gezira Alphasatellite and Okra Leaf Curl Alphasatellite Infecting Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in Iraq

Abstract

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is a widely cultivated vegetable crop, yet highly susceptible to viral infections. During the 2023 growing season, a field survey in Al-Yusufiyah, Baghdad, Iraq, revealed typical viral symptoms in okra, with a 30% disease incidence and high whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) infestation. Thirty symptomatic samples underwent molecular analysis, including RNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics and BLASTx analysis identified a begomovirus complex consisting of Cotton leaf curl Gezira virus (CLCuGV), its associated betasatellite (CLCuGB), alphasatellite (CLCuGA), and Okra leaf curl alphasatellite (OLCuA), with 98%–99% identity to regional isolates. PCR and transmission assays confirmed infectivity and symptom reproduction in okra. This study reports, for the first time in Iraq, okra as a natural host for CLCuGV and CLCuGB, alongside the presence of CLCuGA and OLCuA. These findings provide critical insight into the viral disease complex affecting okra and highlight the need for effective virus management strategies in Iraqi agriculture.