The subtropical Northwestern region of Argentina (provinces of Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero and Catamarca) suffers from a high incidence of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and the detection of begomoviruses is also common. The Northwest is the main bean-growing region of the country, and approximately 10% of Argentina's soybean crop is grown in this area. We have used a PCR-based assay to establish the identity and genetic diversity of begomoviruses associated with bean and soybean crops in Northwestern Argentina. Universal begomovirus primers were used to direct the amplification of a fragment encompassing the 5' portion of the capsid protein gene. Amplified fragments were cloned, sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to determine... |