Cotton leafroll dwarf disease (CLRDD), caused by the aphid-transmitted
Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (US-CLRDV), was first identified in the US in samples collected from Barbour County, Alabama in 2017. In subsequent years, the virus has spread across the Cotton Belt as far west as Texas and north to Virginia.
Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Disease
CLRDD can be difficult to diagnose as symptom expression can vary by cultivar, cotton growth stage, soil fertility, environment, and geographic region. CLRDD can also be difficult to differentiate from symptoms of insect damage, nutrient deficiencies, drought stress, herbicide damage, and other disorders. CLRDV has yet to cause widespread damage in the U.S. but yield losses of up to 80 percent in susceptible varieties have been reported from South America. In Alabama, yield losses can vary from 0 to 30 percent and later planted cotton seems to be more at risk for yield impacts.