Genetic Defense Approaches against Begomoviruses

Abstract

Concerns are increasing day by day as begomoviruses (Geminiviridea) are posing serious threat to large number of cultivated and non cultivated crops globally. Rapid emergence, diversity and spread of begomoviruses are mainly due to food trade and modernized agricultural practices. Strategies that can be adopted for defense against begomoviruses include several cultural, sanitary and chemical measures but all these are temporary, expensive, laborious and environmentally hazardous. So adopting genetic defense mechanisms against the begomoviruses can be a permanent and long lasting solution. These may include transgenic incorporated resistance in cultivars through biotechnological measures and pathogenic derived resistance via virus proteomic approaches. Similarly RNAi and Antisense RNA based technology can be utilized for virus disease management. The review converge its focus upon the modern day biotechnological approaches to cope the begomoviruses and sheds light upon various genetic defense approaches by summing up the recent documented research regarding the management of begomoviruses.