One reason that the virus is so widespread is that symptoms of PMV are often quite mild and it may have gone undetected for some time. Yield losses up to five to six percent have occurred in Georgia in a field with 26 percent infection. The symptoms of PMV infection can vary with cultivar, time of infection and environment. The most common symptom, although it may not be readily noticed, is a mild mottle or mosaic on the youngest leaves of infected plants. Margins of leaflets may curl up and depressions in the leaf tissue between the veins may become prominent.
Plants are generally only mildly stunted, if at all.
As plants mature, the symptom expression generally declines, particularly during hot and dry weather. Pods from infected plants may be reduced in size and have irregular gray to brown patches. The seed coat of affected seed may also be discolored. Disease Cycle Peanut seed is thought to be the most important primary source of PMV for the beginning of the disease cycle. However, an infection level of 0.1 percent can result in about two infected seedlings per 100 square yards in a field.