Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV; family Bromoviridae, genus Cucumovirus) is the most cosmopolitan plant virus occurring worldwide. In the present study, leaf samples showing deformations, mosaics, and chlorotic spots symptoms were collected from naturally infected Basella alba, Telfairia occidentalis and Talinum fruticosum in a home yard garden in Ibadan, Nigeria. Total nucleic acid was extracted from leaves and used as template for cDNA synthesis. RT-PCR was carried out using CMV-specific primers targeting RNA-1 segment. Samples were also tested by RT-PCR using Potyvirus and Begomovirus genusspecific primers. DNA fragments with the expected sizes of ~500 bp were amplified by using CMV-specific primers; however, the expected amplicons were not produced using specific primers used for the detection of potyviruses and begomoviruses. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences obtained for the isolates studied contained 503–511 nt and 144 aa, respectively. The isolates shared 81.9–85.3% nucleotide and 74.3–77.8% amino acid sequence identities with each other. The results of BLASTN analyses showed the highest identities of the isolates (80–93%) with CMV strains from Japan, USA and South Korea. Alignment of deduced partial protein revealed multiple amino acid substitutions within the three isolates and high identities with CMV subgroup I. Phylogenetic analyses putatively categorized the isolates in close association with subgroup IB isolates. The three isolates clustered together into a separate subclade, indicating possible new CMV strains. The results provide the first molecular evidence for CMV infections of T. fruticosum and B. alba in Nigeria and seem to show the possible presence of new strain(s). These findings also add three new hosts to the list of natural host range of the virus in Nigeria.

By 2050, global crop demand is projected to rise by 60–110%. Crop yields have also been impacted by climate change in some nations, and these impacts are likely to continue. To prevent the influence of climate change on crop output, it is critical to adjust planting times in weather-related open fields to meet food security concerns. Present study was carried out at Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt, during two successive seasons, 2019 and 2020. It was aimed to study the effect of different sowing times (1st and 15th October, 1st and 15th November), and plant spacings (25, 20, and 15 cm) on growth, fruit yield, and oil production of caraway ( Carum carvi L.) plants. The results showed that sowing caraway plants on 15th October with plant spacing of 25 cm gave the highest dry weight (72.6 g∙plant ^–1), fresh weight (266.15 g∙plant ^–1), seed yield (37.43 g∙plant ^–1), and oil yield (0.659 cm3∙plant ^–1). The maximum umbels (50.83 number per plant) and essential oil (1.78%) were also recorded in the plants receiving same treatment. On the other hand, plants sown at 15th November with spacing of 15 cm exhibited the minimum values of recorded traits. While the highest value of plant height gave with sowing caraway plants on 15th October with plant spacing of 15 cm (135.35 cm). In conclusion, the plants sowed on October 15th with a maximum plant spacing of 25 cm had the highest values of the evaluated morphological, biochemical, and yield attributes of caraway.