Plant Virus Surveillance and Metagenomics 2026

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viruses of Plants, Fungi and Protozoa".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2308

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Interests: exotic and emerging citrus viruses; virus discovery and detection; virus evolution; diagnostic development and validation

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
Interests: plant virus diseases; vector-borne diseases; virus-vector interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of ground-breaking high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology advanced plant virus surveillance by identifying the ‘unknown known’ and ‘unknown unknown’ viral pathogens in crops and ecosystems without a priori knowledge. The main goals of plant virus surveillance are to protect food security and trade by (i) determining common viruses in certain regions, (ii) identifying early detection and prevention of new outbreaks, (iii) quantifying crop losses, and (iv) developing management strategies to support plant health and agroecology studies. All these goals can be achieved through utilizing revolutionized metagenomics approach by analyzing comprehensive viral profiling in HTS data derived from crops, weeds, and vectors, enabling identification of known and the discovery of novel viruses, identifying new threats, understanding virus ecology (like co-infections and host–virus dynamics), permitting early detection for rapid response, and informing disease control strategies in agriculture and wild plants for better agroecosystem health.

This Special Issue will highlight the use of metagenomics supporting food security and better pest management through broad-spectrum monitoring via (i) comprehensive analysis of entire viral communities (viromes) in single or multiple samples procured from diversified plant species, (ii) novel viruses discovery beyond known virus detection, (iii) virus distribution map in wild and crop plants, (iv) virus ecology (reservoirs, vectors), (v) virus detection in asymptomatic infections and provide early warnings for emerging threats. Submitted papers can include original research, perspective, and review articles within the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Avijit Roy
Dr. Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • high-throughput sequencing (HTS)
  • virome analysis
  • bioinformatics tools
  • molecular diagnostics
  • novel virus discovery
  • reservoir hosts
  • disease etiology
  • virus epidemiology
  • biosecurity/quarantine

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 879 KB  
Article
Characterization of the Alfalfa Pollen Virome
by Lev G. Nemchinov, Sam Grinstead, Olga A. Postnikova and Brian M. Irish
Viruses 2026, 18(4), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040408 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1884
Abstract
Vertical transmission of plant pathogenic viruses is an important component of viral persistence, survival, and spread in agricultural production systems. This type of transmission is of considerable economic significance as it can cause major crop losses by serving as the initial focus of [...] Read more.
Vertical transmission of plant pathogenic viruses is an important component of viral persistence, survival, and spread in agricultural production systems. This type of transmission is of considerable economic significance as it can cause major crop losses by serving as the initial focus of infection for future epidemics. Vertical transmission occurs when a virus is passed on to offspring either by direct invasion of the developing seed embryo from infected mother plants or through infected pollen grains after fertilization. We have recently demonstrated via high-throughput sequencing that mature seeds of the agriculturally important forage crop alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are associated with a broad range of viruses, some of which could potentially spread over long distances via seed. With the exception of the alfalfa mosaic virus, little is currently known about viral transmission through alfalfa pollen and its subsequent impact on the disease epidemiology of the crop. The objective of this study was to screen pollen from diverse alfalfa genotypes for pathogenic viruses and assess their risk of transmission. The pollen was collected from alfalfa genotypes selected for fungal disease resistance and agronomic performance in the USDA ARS pre-breeding program in Prosser, WA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Surveillance and Metagenomics 2026)
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