AMV is a multipartite virus and is composed of four particles (three bacilliform and one spheroidal) with a diameter of 18 nm.

Specific association of the coat protein with the RNA 3’- terminal sequences or with the subgenomic mRNA is required for the infection.

Some hosts: potato (Solanum tuberosum), pea (Pisum sativum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), bluebeard (Caryopteris incana), ...

Symptoms vary from wilting, white flecks, malformation like dwarfing, ringspots, mottles, mosaics to necrosis depending on the virus strain, host variety, stage of growth at infection and environmental conditions.

Temperature and light are the environmental factors that have the greatest influence on the multiplication and movement of AMV in the plant and thus indirectly on the symptoms.

It has been proved that in the important forage grass alfalfa, the infection by AMV leads to a decrease of Cu, Fe, Mn, P and Zn quantities.

Distinction is based on different symptoms in one or two chosen hosts and also on, for example, differential physico-chemical properties.

[13] The vectors are insects of the order Hemiptera, family Aphididae; green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) and at least 14 other species are known to play that role.

The combination of seed-infected plants and spreading by aphids results mostly in high levels of infection.

[citation needed] The host range of the virus is wide and includes food and pasture crops (peas, lentils, potatoes, clovers,...).