Grasses as a Reservoir of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus in Indiana

Fargette, D., Lister, R. M., and Hood, E. L. 1982. Grasses as a reservoir of barley yellow dwarf virus in Indiana. Plant Disease 66: 1041-1045. About 50% of the grass samples collected in lndiana during the summer of 1980 were infected with barley yellow dwarf virus (BY DV) according to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The isolates distinguished by the tests resembled PAV (nonspecifically transmitted by Rltopalosipkuinpadiand Macrosiykitnt avenue), MAV (specifically transmitted by M. avenue), or RPV (specifically transmitted by R. padi). Results indicated that there is a large reservoir of BYDV in perennial grasses in lndiana but that this may not be the most important source of inoculum for spread to cereals. For example, RPV-like isolates were the most prevalent type in grasses at the Purdue University Agronomy Farm, but samples from winter wheat and spring oats collected there were infected mostly with PAV-like isolates. In addition, grasses around a plot where wheat artificially infected with a PAV-like isolate had been grown for several seasons showed very few PAV-like infections. Other possible sources of BYDV, including corn (Zea mays), need investigation in relation to epidemiology in cereals.