REVEALING HIDDEN VIRUSES INDUCING SIMILAR YELLOWING SYMPTOMS OR REMAINING ASYMPTOMATIC IN CUCURBIT CROPS

Cucurbit crops include melons, cucumbers, squashes, and gourds - all of which are very important in global agriculture and are increasingly at risk as a result of undetected or asymptomatic viral infections. These "stealth" infections often evade detection during visual inspections or conventional diagnostic tests, with yellowing symptoms that may mask nutrient deficiencies or other plant stresses, or remain asymptomatic, silently affecting crop health. This study investigates the presence of hidden viral infections in cucurbit crops, using advanced molecular diagnostics and high-throughput sequencing to identify and characterize viruses that induce yellowing symptoms or remain asymptomatic. The complexity of detection and management of latent viral threats is discussed here, and we emphasize that traditional diagnostic methods are highly limited. We emphasize the advances in molecular diagnostics like PCR and NGS that allow the identification of symptomatic and asymptomatic infections. Detailed case studies, in this case the CABYV prevalence, argue the need for thorough surveillance in combating the spread and impact of viruses. We further provide discussions on the biological and ecological aspects of viruses in terms of transmission with respect to vectors like aphids and environmental triggers that provoke latent viruses. It calls for the use of integrated pest management and virus-resistant cultivars as fundamental strategies in sustainable crop protection. Detection methods are improving, and proactive management practices can ensure better protection of cucurbit crops against the hidden viral threats that could impair yield and quality.