The Society of Behavioral Medicine urges passage of the PLANT (Peas, Legumes, And Nuts Today) Act.

Current US diets negatively impact human health and the environment, while shifting toward increased intake of plant-based foods could mitigate these issues. Current food policies exacerbate these problems, necessitating a reevaluation and the implementation of new policies. The Society of Behavioral Medicine urges legislators to support the PLANT Act (H.R.5023), which would enhance production, research, and development of plant-based foods and address both health and environmental concerns.

Introduced to the House by Congressman James McGovern, the PLANT Act would expand opportunity for agricultural producers and would make it easier for consumers to afford and access plant-based foods.

Forage peanut legume as a strategy for improving beef production without increasing livestock greenhouse gas emissions.

The transformation of pastures from a degraded state to sustainable productivity is a major challenge in tropical livestock production. Stoloniferous forage legumes such as Arachis pintoi (forage peanut) are one of the most promising alternatives for intensifying pasture-based beef livestock operations with reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This 2-year study assessed beef cattle performance, nutrient intake and digestibility, and balance of GHG emissions in three pasture types (PT): (1) mixed Palisade grass - Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R.D. Webster (syn. Brachiaria brizantha Stapf cv. Marandu) and forage peanut (A. pintoi Krapov. & W.C. Greg. cv. BRS Mandobi) pastures (Mixed), (2) monoculture Palisade grass pastures with 150 kg of N/ha per year (Fertilised), and (3) monoculture Palisade grass without N fertiliser (Control). Continuous stocking with a variable stocking rate was used in a randomised complete block design, with four replicates per treatment. The average daily gain and carcass gain were not influenced by the PT (P = 0.439 and P = 0.100, respectively) and were, on average, 0.433 kg/animal per day and 83.4 kg/animal, respectively. Fertilised and Mixed pastures increased by 102 and 31.5%, respectively, the liveweight gain per area (kg/ha/yr) compared to the Control pasture (P < 0.001). The heifers in the Mixed pasture had lower CH4 emissions (g/animal per day; P = 0.009), achieving a reduction of 12.6 and 10.1% when compared to the Fertilised and Control pastures, respectively. Annual (N2O) emissions (g/animal) and per kg carcass weight gain were 59.8 and 63.1% lower, respectively, in the Mixed pasture compared to the Fertilised pasture (P < 0.001). Mixed pasture mitigated approximately 23% of kg CO2eq/kg of carcass when substituting 150 kg of N/ha per year via fertiliser. Mixed pastures with forage peanut are a promising solution to recover degraded tropical pastures by providing increased animal production with lower GHG emissions.

Cloning and functional validation of DsWRKY6 gene from Desmodium styracifolium.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of transcription factor in Desmodium styracifolium, proving that the DsWRKY6 transcription factor was related to the plant phenotypes of Desmodium styracifolium - cv. 'GuangYaoDa1' and it could be used in molecular-assisted breeding. 'GuangYaoDa1' was used as the material and its DNA was the template to clone DsWRKY6, the transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana line was constructed by agrobacterium tumefaciens­mediated transformation. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was cultivated to study phenotype and physiological and biochemical indexes. Phenotypic observation showed that DsWRKY6 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana had a faster growth rate while compared with the control group, they had longer lengths of main stem, lateral branches of cauline leaves, and root, but a lower number of cauline leaves and lateral branches of cauline leaves. And it also showed that their flowering and fruiting periods were advanced. The results of physiological and biochemical indexes showed that the relative expressions of DsWRKY6 increased and the abscisic acid content significantly increased in DsWRKY6 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana compared with the control group. According to the above results, DsWRKY6 could regulate the advancing of flowering and fruiting periods caused by the improvement of abscisic acid content, and expression of the DsWRKY6 transcription factor might be the cause of the upright growth of 'GuangYaoDa1'.

Investigation into the potential mechanism of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in the fermentation of broad bean paste by metabolomics and transcriptomics.

Pixian broad bean paste is a renowned fermented seasoning. The fermentation of broad bean is the most important process of Pixian broad bean paste. To enhance the flavor of tank-fermented broad bean paste, salt-tolerant Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain was inoculated, resulting in an increase in total amount of volatile compounds, potentially leading to different flavor characteristics. To investigate the fermentation mechanism, monoculture simulated fermentation systems were designed. Metabolomics and transcriptomics were used to explore Bacillus amyloliquefaciens' transcriptional response to salt stress and potential aroma production mechanisms. The results highlighted different metabolite profiles under salt stress, and the crucial roles of energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, reaction system, transportation system in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens' hypersaline stress response. This study provides a scientific basis for the industrial application of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and new insights into addressing the challenges of poor flavor quality in tank fermentation products.

Responses of soil enzymatic activities and microbial biomass phosphorus to improve nutrient accumulation abilities in leguminous species.

Fertilizers application are widely used to get a higher yield in agricultural fields. Nutrient management can be improved by cultivating leguminous species in order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms that increase the amount of available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) through fertilizer treatments. A pot experiment was conducted to identify the leguminous species (i.e., chickpea and pea) under various fertilizer treatments. Experimental design is as follows: T0 (control: no fertilizer was applied), T1: P applied at the level of (90 kg ha-1), T2: (K applied at the level of 90 kg ha-1), and T3: (PK applied both at 90 kg ha-1). All fertilizer treatments significantly (p < 0.05) improved the nutrient accumulation abilities and enzymes activities. The T3 treatment showed highest N uptake in chickpea was 37.0%, compared to T0. While T3 developed greater N uptake in pea by 151.4% than the control. However, T3 treatment also increased microbial biomass phosphorus in both species i.e., 95.7% and 81.5% in chickpeas and peas, respectively, compared to T0 treatment. In chickpeas, T1 treatment stimulated NAGase activities by 52.4%, and T2 developed URase activities by 50.1% higher than control. In contrast, T3 treatment enhanced both BGase and Phase enzyme activities, i.e., 55.8% and 33.9%, respectively, compared to the T0 treatment. Only the T3 treatment improved the activities of enzymes in the pea species (i.e., BGase was 149.7%, URase was 111.9%, Phase was 81.1%, and NAGase was 70.0%) compared to the control. Therefore, adding combined P and K fertilizer applications to the soil can increase the activity of enzymes in both legume species, and changes in microbial biomass P and soil nutrient availability make it easier for plants to uptake the nutrients.

Outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in hospital linked to a fava bean product, Finland, 2015 to 2019.

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a bacterium widely distributed in the environment. Listeriosis is a severe disease associated with high hospitalisation and mortality rates. In April 2019, listeriosis was diagnosed in two hospital patients in Finland. We conducted a descriptive study to identify the source of the infection and defined a case as a person with a laboratory-confirmed Lm serogroup IIa sequence type (ST) 37. Six cases with Lm ST 37 were notified to the Finnish Infectious Diseases Registry between 2015 and 2019. Patient interviews and hospital menus were used to target traceback investigation of the implicated foods. In 2021 and 2022, similar Lm ST 37 was detected from samples of a ready-to-eat plant-based food product including fava beans. Inspections by the manufacturer and the local food control authority indicated that the food products were contaminated with Lm after pasteurisation. Our investigation highlights the importance that companies producing plant-based food are subject to similar controls as those producing food of animal origin. Hospital menus can be a useful source of information that is not dependent on patient recall.

Green Synthesis of Blumea balsamifera Oil Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Natural Emulsifiers and Its Effect on Wound Healing.

In this study, we developed a green and multifunctional bioactive nanoemulsion (BBG-NEs) of Blumea balsamifera oil using Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) and glycyrrhizic acid (GA) as natural emulsifiers. The process parameters were optimized using particle size, PDI, and zeta potential as evaluation parameters. The physicochemical properties, stability, transdermal properties, and bioactivities of the BBG-NEs under optimal operating conditions were investigated. Finally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism underlying its wound-healing properties. After parameter optimization, BBG-NEs exhibited excellent stability and demonstrated favorable in vitro transdermal properties. Furthermore, it displayed enhanced antioxidant and wound-healing effects. SD rats wound-healing experiments demonstrated improved scab formation and accelerated healing in the BBG-NE treatment relative to BBO and emulsifier groups. Pharmacological network analyses showed that AKT1, CXCL8, and EGFR may be key targets of BBG-NEs in wound repair. The results of a scratch assay and Western blotting assay also demonstrated that BBG-NEs could effectively promote cell migration and inhibit inflammatory responses. These results indicate the potential of the developed BBG-NEs for antioxidant and skin wound applications, expanding the utility of natural emulsifiers. Meanwhile, this study provided a preliminary explanation of the potential mechanism of BBG-NEs to promote wound healing through network pharmacology and molecular docking, which provided a basis for the mechanistic study of green multifunctional nanoemulsions.

Rhizobium determinants of rhizosphere persistence and root colonization.

Bacterial persistence in the rhizosphere and colonization of root niches are critical for the establishment of many beneficial plant-bacteria interactions including those between Rhizobium leguminosarum and its host legumes. Despite this, most studies on R. leguminosarum have focused on its symbiotic lifestyle as an endosymbiont in root nodules. Here, we use random barcode transposon sequencing to assay gene contributions of R. leguminosarum during competitive growth in the rhizosphere and colonization of various plant species. This facilitated the identification of 189 genes commonly required for growth in diverse plant rhizospheres, mutation of 111 of which also affected subsequent root colonization (rhizosphere progressive), and a further 119 genes necessary for colonization. Common determinants reveal a need to synthesize essential compounds (amino acids, ribonucleotides, and cofactors), adapt metabolic function, respond to external stimuli, and withstand various stresses (such as changes in osmolarity). Additionally, chemotaxis and flagella-mediated motility are prerequisites for root colonization. Many genes showed plant-specific dependencies highlighting significant adaptation to different plant species. This work provides a greater understanding of factors promoting rhizosphere fitness and root colonization in plant-beneficial bacteria, facilitating their exploitation for agricultural benefit.

Nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing legume plants differ in leaf nutrient concentrations and relationships between photosynthetic and hydraulic traits.

Legumes account for a significant proportion of plants in the terrestrial ecosystems. Nitrogen (N)-fixing capability of certain legumes is a pivotal trait that contributes to their ecological dominance. Yet, the functional traits and trait relationships between N-fixer and non-N-fixer legumes are poorly understood. Here, we investigated 27 functional traits associated with morphology, nutrients, hydraulic conductance and photosynthesis in 42 woody legumes (19 N-fixers and 23 non-N-fixers) in a common garden. Our results showed that N-fixers had higher specific leaf area, photosynthetic phosphorus (P)-use efficiency, leaf N, and iron concentrations on both area and mass basis, N/P ratio, and carbon (C) to P ratio, but lower wood density, area-based maximum photosynthetic rate (Aa), photosynthetic N-use efficiency, leaf mass- and area-based P and molybdenum and area-based boron concentrations, and C/N ratio, compared with non-N-fixers. The mass-based maximum photosynthetic rate (Am), stomatal conductance (gs), intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi), mass- and area-based leaf potassium and mass-based boron concentrations, leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf), and whole-shoot hydraulic conductance (Kshoot) showed no difference between N-fixers and non-N-fixers. Significant positive associations between all hydraulic and photosynthetic trait pairs were found in N-fixers, but only one pair (Kshoot-Aa) in non-N-fixers, suggesting that hydraulic conductance plays a more important role in mediating photosynthetic capacity in N-fixers compared with non-N-fixers. Higher mass-based leaf N was linked to lower time-integrated gs and higher WUEi among non-N-fixer legumes or all legumes pooled after phylogeny was considered. Moreover, mass-based P concentration was positively related to Am and gs in N-fixers, but not in non-N-fixers, indicating that the photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance in N-fixers were more dependent on leaf P status than in non-N-fixers. These findings expand our understanding of the trait-based ecology within and across N-fixer and non-N-fixer legumes in tropics.

Development of silanized bacterial cellulose aerogels for the incorporation of natural oils with healing properties: Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis), bourbon geranium (Pelargonium X ssp.) essential oils and buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) vegetable oil.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) represents a promising biomaterial, due to its unique and versatile properties. We report, herein, on purposely-designed structural modifications of BC that enhance its application as a wound dressing material. Chemical modification of the functional groups of BC was performed initially to introduce a hydrophobic/oleophilic character to its surface. Specifically, silanization was carried out in an aqueous medium using methyltrimethoxisilane (MTMS) as the silanizing agent, and aerogels were subsequently prepared by freeze-drying. The BC-MTMS aerogel obtained displayed a highly porous (99 %) and lightweight structure with an oil absorption capacity of up to 52 times its dry weight. The XRD pattern indicated that the characteristic crystallographic planes of the native BC were maintained after the silanization process. Thermal analysis showed that the thermal stability of the BC-MTMS aerogel increased, as compared to the pure BC aerogel (pBC). Moreover, the BC-MTMS aerogel was not cytotoxic to fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In the second step of the study, the incorporation of natural oils into the aerogel's matrix was found to endow antimicrobial and/or healing properties to BC-MTMS. Bourbon geranium (Pelargonium X ssp.) essential oil (GEO) was the only oil that exhibited antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms, whereas buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) vegetable oil (BVO) was non-cytotoxic to the cells. This study demonstrates that the characteristics of the BC structure can be modified, while preserving its intrinsic features, offering new possibilities for the development of BC-derived materials for specific applications in the biomedical field.

Pulse Consumption and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review.

Pulses-comprising the dry, edible seeds of leguminous plants-have long been lauded for their culinary flexibility and substantial nutritional advantages. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence on how pulses contribute to overall human health. Four electronic databases were searched for clinical and observational studies in English. We identified 30 articles (3 cross-sectional studies, 1 federated meta-analysis, 8 prospective cohort studies, 1 before-and-after study, and 17 randomized controlled trials) that met our inclusion criteria. Predominant among the pulses studied were lentils, chickpeas, common bean varieties (e.g., pinto, black, navy, red, kidney), black-eyed peas, cowpeas, and split peas. Consumption modalities varied; most studies examined mixed pulses, while five isolated individual types. In intervention studies, pulses were incorporated into diets by allotting a fixed pulse serving on top of a regular diet or by substituting red meat with pulses, offering a comparative analysis of dietary effects. The health outcomes evaluated were multifaceted, ranging from lipid profiles to blood pressure, cardiovascular disease risk and mortality, type 2 diabetes and glycemic control, metabolic syndrome indicators, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress biomarkers, and hormonal profiles. The most frequently assessed study outcomes included changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference, and C-reactive protein or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. This review should serve as a call to action for the scientific community to build upon the existing evidence, enriching our understanding of the nutritional and health-promoting attributes of pulses.

Guidelines for the description of rhizobial symbiovars.

Rhizobia are bacteria that form nitrogen-fixing nodules in legume plants. The sets of genes responsible for both nodulation and nitrogen fixation are carried in plasmids or genomic islands that are often mobile. Different strains within a species sometimes have different host specificities, while very similar symbiosis genes may be found in strains of different species. These specificity variants are known as symbiovars, and many of them have been given names, but there are no established guidelines for defining or naming them. Here, we discuss the requirements for guidelines to describe symbiovars, propose a set of guidelines, provide a list of all symbiovars for which descriptions have been published so far, and offer a mechanism to maintain a list in the future.

Genome comparisons reveal accessory genes crucial for the evolution of apple Glomerella leaf spot pathogenicity in Colletotrichum fungi.

Apple Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) is an emerging fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum fructicola and other Colletotrichum species. These species are polyphyletic and it is currently unknown how these pathogens convergently evolved to infect apple. We generated chromosome-level genome assemblies of a GLS-adapted isolate and a non-adapted isolate in C. fructicola using long-read sequencing. Additionally, we resequenced 17 C. fructicola and C. aenigma isolates varying in GLS pathogenicity using short-read sequencing. Genome comparisons revealed a conserved bipartite genome architecture involving minichromosomes (accessory chromosomes) shared by C. fructicola and other closely related species within the C. gloeosporioides species complex. Moreover, two repeat-rich genomic regions (1.61 Mb in total) were specifically conserved among GLS-pathogenic isolates in C. fructicola and C. aenigma. Single-gene deletion of 10 accessory genes within the GLS-specific regions of C. fructicola identified three that were essential for GLS pathogenicity. These genes encoded a putative non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, a flavin-binding monooxygenase and a small protein with unknown function. These results highlight the crucial role accessory genes play in the evolution of Colletotrichum pathogenicity and imply the significance of an unidentified secondary metabolite in GLS pathogenesis.

The EIN3 transcription factor GmEIL1 improves soybean resistance to Phytophthora sojae.

Phytophthora root and stem rot of soybean (Glycine max), caused by the oomycete Phytophthora sojae, is an extremely destructive disease worldwide. In this study, we identified GmEIL1, which encodes an ethylene-insensitive3 (EIN3) transcription factor. GmEIL1 was significantly induced following P. sojae infection of soybean plants. Compared to wild-type soybean plants, transgenic soybean plants overexpressing GmEIL1 showed enhanced resistance to P. sojae and GmEIL1-silenced RNA-interference lines showed more severe symptoms when infected with P. sojae. We screened for target genes of GmEIL1 and confirmed that GmEIL1 bound directly to the GmERF113 promoter and regulated GmERF113 expression. Moreover, GmEIL1 positively regulated the expression of the pathogenesis-related gene GmPR1. The GmEIL1-regulated defence response to P. sojae involved both ethylene biosynthesis and the ethylene signalling pathway. These findings suggest that the GmEIL1-GmERF113 module plays an important role in P. sojae resistance via the ethylene signalling pathway.

MdWRKY71 promotes the susceptibility of apple to Glomerella leaf spot by controlling salicylic acid degradation.

Glomerella leaf spot (GLS), a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum fructicola, severely affects apple (Malus domestica) quality and yield. In this study, we found that the transcription factor MdWRKY71 was significantly induced by C. fructicola infection in the GLS-susceptible apple cultivar Royal Gala. The overexpression of MdWRKY71 in apple leaves resulted in increased susceptibility to C. fructicola, whereas RNA interference of MdWRKY71 in leaves showed the opposite phenotypes. These findings suggest that MdWRKY71 functions as a susceptibility factor for the apple-C. fructicola interaction. Furthermore, MdWRKY71 directly bound to the promoter of the salicylic acid (SA) degradation gene Downy Mildew Resistant 6 (DMR6)-Like Oxygenase 1 (DLO1) and promoted its expression, resulting in a reduced SA level. The sensitivity of 35S:MdWRKY71 leaves to C. fructicola can be effectively alleviated by knocking down MdDLO1 expression, confirming the critical role of MdWRKY71-mediated SA degradation via regulating MdDLO1 expression in GLS susceptibility. In summary, we identified a GLS susceptibility factor, MdWRKY71, that targets the apple SA degradation pathway to promote fungal infection.

Global changes in gene expression during compatible and incompatible interactions of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) during Orobanche foetida parasitism.

Orobanche foetida Poiret is the main constraint facing faba bean crop in Tunisia. Indeed, in heavily infested fields with this parasitic plant, yield losses may reach 90%, and the recent estimation of the infested area is around 80,000 ha. Identifying genes involved in the Vicia faba/O. foetida interaction is crucial for the development of effective faba bean breeding programs. However, there is currently no available information on the transcriptome of faba bean responding to O. foetida parasitism. In this study, we employed RNA sequencing to explore the global gene expression changes associated with compatible and incompatible V. faba/O. foetida interactions. In this perspective, two faba bean varieties (susceptible and resistant) were examined at the root level across three stages of O. foetida development (Before Germination (BG), After Germination (AG) and Tubercule Stage (TS)). Our analyses presented an exploration of the transcriptomic profile, including comprehensive assessments of differential gene expression and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses. Specifically, we investigated key pathways revealing the complexity of molecular responses to O. foetida attack. In this study, we detected differential gene expression of pathways associated with secondary metabolites: flavonoids, auxin, thiamine, and jasmonic acid. To enhance our understanding of the global changes in V. faba response to O. foetida, we specifically examined WRKY genes known to play a role in plant host-parasitic plant interactions. Furthermore, considering the pivotal role of parasitic plant seed germination in this interaction, we investigated genes involved in the orobanchol biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly, we detected the gene expression of VuCYP722C homolog, coding for a key enzyme involved in orobanchol biosynthesis, exclusively in the susceptible host. Clearly, this study enriches our understanding of the V. faba/O. foetida interaction, shedding light on the main differences between susceptible and resistant faba bean varieties during O. foetida infestation at the gene expression level.

Legume protein fermented by lactic acid bacteria: Specific enzymatic hydrolysis, protein composition, structure, and functional properties.

In recent years, with increasing emphasis on healthy, green, and sustainable consumption concepts, plant-based foods have gained popularity among consumers. As widely sourced plant-based raw materials, legume proteins are considered sustainable and renewable alternatives to animal proteins. However, legume proteins have limited functional properties, which hinder their application in food products. LAB fermentation is a relatively natural processing method that is safer than chemical/physical modification methods and can enrich the functional properties of legume proteins through biodegradation and modification. Therefore, changes in legume protein composition, structure, and functional properties and their related mechanisms during LAB fermentation are described. In addition, the specific enzymatic hydrolysis mechanisms of different LAB proteolytic systems on legume proteins are also focused in this review. The unique proteolytic systems of different LAB induce specific enzymatic hydrolysis of legume proteins, resulting in the production of hydrolysates with diverse functional properties, including solubility, emulsibility, gelability, and foamability, which are determined by the composition (peptide/amino acid) and structure (secondary/tertiary) of legume proteins after LAB fermentation. The correlation between LAB-specific enzymatic hydrolysis, protein composition and structure, and protein functional properties will assist in selecting legume protein raw materials and LAB strains for legume plant-based food products and expand the application of legume proteins in the food industry.

Four new diterpenoids from the aerial parts of Leucas zeylanica (L.) R. Br.

Four new undescribed halimane- and labdane-type diterpenoids, named zeylleucapenoids E-H (1-4), along with four known analogues (5-8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Leucas zeylanica (L.) R. Br. Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and computational calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 are the highly modified halimane diterpenoids featuring a 6/6/6-fused tricyclic system with an unusual six-membered 6,11-ether ring. Compound 8 exhibits nontoxic effects for zebrafish embryo, while it displays efficient reduction against NO production in a dose-dependent manner and strongly suppresses the secretion of LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, marked reductions of iNOS and COX-2 expression were observed. Molecular docking analysis indicated that 8 has high affinities with the target amino acid residues on protein-binding sites, which may be a possible mechanism contributing to the anti-inflammatory potential of this molecule.

Serological and RT-PCR evaluation of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex. A. Rich) Harms) accessions to viral resistance under field condition.

African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex. A. Rich.) harms) an underutilized legume that produces nutritionally healthy seeds and tubers in some variety. The low yield of the crop is attributed to production constraints such as attacks by pest and disease-causing organisms such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. In this study, one hundred AYB accessions were evaluated for resistance to viral infection. The AYB accessions were planted using a randomized complete block design on the experimental field at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Nigeria. Viral disease severity was assessed at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 weeks after planting (WAP) based on disease symptoms using disease severity index on visual scale of 1-5. Antigen-coated plate enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to index diseased leaf samples collected from the field. Result from five virus species (Cowpea mild mottle virus, Cowpea mottle virus, Southern bean mosaic virus, Cowpea mosaic virus and Bean common mosaic virus) were detected in few accessions while mixed infections were observed in some accessions. TSs-552, TSs-577, TSs-580, TSs-560 and TSs-600 were devoid of viruses and could be resistant. There were no significant differences at p < 0.05 in the mean disease incidence (DI) of viral diseases. However, at 18 weeks after planting, TSs-604 had the highest (100%) mean DI while TSs-584 had the lowest (13.33%) mean DI. Cluster analysis based on the AUDPC produced 6 main clusters, the clusters revealed grouping patterns in which AYB lines with similar resistance ratings were shown to form unique clusters. The information generated from this study will contribute to the development of strategies in the management of virus diseases infecting AYB.