Bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus), also known as okra or lady’s finger, is widely grown and consumed in India. Like any other crop, bhendi is also susceptible to various diseases that can affect its growth and yield. Among these, yellow vein mosaic or vein-clearing is the most destructive viral disease across bhendi growing regions of India. If the crop is affected by the virus at early stages, up to 80% of crop loss can be expected.

Yellow Vein Mosaic in Bhendi

The disease can infect plants at any growth stage. The infections are more prevalent during the summer months when the whitefly population is high.

Vector: Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)

Symptoms of Yellow Vein Mosaic / Vein

Clearing in Bhindi:

• Yellowing of veins and veinlets of leaves (vein clearing).
• Later, interveinal regions of the leaves turn yellow or white.
• The leaves of the infected plant may show mosaic patterns of yellow and green.
• In case of severe infection, affected young leaves show complete chlorosis.
• The infected plants may show stunted growth and reduced size.
• The leaves may be smaller in size and may show distortion or curling.
• Affected plants may produce fewer flowers and fruits, and the fruits may be deformed, smaller in size, harder and yellow green in colour.

Preventive Measures:

There are no known treatments for yellow vein mosaic virus, once a plant is infected. However, proper prevention and vector control help reduce loss.

• Use Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV) tolerant varieties/hybrids of bhendi like Rudraksh F1 Roshani Okra, Urja Agri - Bhindi Marina, Sarpan F1 hybrid bhindi, Indam 9821 bhendi.
• Avoid growing susceptible varieties in summer when whitefly infestation is high.
• Remove and destroy the infected plants from the field to avoid secondary spread.
• Keep the field clean and free from weeds.
• Control the population of whiteflies and prevent the spread of the virus.
• Introduce natural predators of whiteflies, like ladybugs and lacewings.
• Avoid excessive use of ammoniacal nitrogen fertilizers.
• Practice crop rotation with legumes like beans or lentils with bhendi to improve soil health and reduce the risk of disease transmission.
• Plant marigold, maize or sunflower as border crops to trap the vector, whitefly.
• Spray chilli and garlic extracts to repel whiteflies.
• Give foliar spray of Magnum Mn and Geolife No Virus to enhance the plant’s resistance to YVMV.
• Installation of yellow sticky traps @ 6-8 per acre.

Control Measures for Vector (Whitefly):

Product Name	Technical Content	Dosage
Mechanical Management
Tapas Yellow Sticky Trap	Sticky trap	4 – 6 per acre
Biological Management
Greenpeace Neemol Bio Neem oil	Neem Oil extracts (Azardiractin)	1 – 2 ml/lit of water
Anand Dr Bacto’s Brave	Beauveria bassiana	2.5 ml/lit of water
Chemical Management
Anant Insecticide	Thiamethoxam 25% WG	0.3 – 0.5 gm/lit of water
Benevia Insecticide	Cyantraniliprole 10.26% OD	1.7 – 2 ml/lit of water
Dhanpreet Insecticide	Acetamiprid 20% SP	0.2 – 0.4 gm/lit of water
Tatamida SL Insecticide	Imidacloprid 17.8% SL	1 – 2 ml/lit of water
Police Insecticide	Fipronil 40% + Imidacloprid 40% WG	0.2 – 0.6 gm/lit of water
Osheen Insecticide	Dinotefuran 20 % SG	0.3 – 0.4 gm/lit of water
Movento Energy Insecticide	Spirotetramat 11.01% + Imidacloprid 11.01% SC	0.5 – 1 ml/lit of water

Discover more about diseases and insect-pests affecting okra: symptoms and control measures. Click Here

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I identify yellow vein mosaic at early stages?

Early signs include vein clearing, yellowing of veins, and light mosaic patterns on leaves. Detecting early helps in quick removal of infected plants.

How can I control yellow vein mosaic in bhindi?

There is no cure, but you can control yellow vein mosaic by managing whiteflies, using resistant varieties, and removing infected plants.

Is there any effective treatment for yellow mosaic of bhindi?

There is no direct yellow mosaic of bhindi treatment once the plant is infected. Management mainly focuses on prevention and controlling whiteflies.