The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella, and the plant viruses it transmits represent an invasive mite-virus complex that has affected cereal crops worldwide. The main damage caused by WCM comes from its ability to transmit and spread multiple damaging viruses to cereal crops, with Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV) being the most important. Although WCM and transmitted viruses have been of concern to cereal growers and researchers for at least six decades, they continue to represent a challenge. In older affected areas, for example in North America, this mite-virus complex still has significant economic impact. In Australia and South America, where this problem has only emerged in the last decade, it represents a new threat to winter cereal production. The difficulties encountered in making progress towards managing WCM and its transmitted viruses stem from the complexity of the pathosystem. The most effective methods for minimizing losses from WCM transmitted viruses in cereal crops have previously focused on cultural and plant resistance methods. This paper brings together information on biological and ecological aspects of WCM, including its taxonomic status, occurrence, host plant range, damage symptoms and economic impact. Information about the main viruses transmitted by WCM is also included and the epidemiological relationships involved in this vectored complex of viruses are also addressed. Management strategies that have been directed at this mite-virus complex are presented, including plant resistance, its history, difficulties and advances. Current research perspectives to address this invasive mite-virus complex and minimize cereal crop losses worldwide are also discussed.

/pdf/wheat-curl-mite-aceria-tosichella-and-transmitted-viruses-an-13miskwuhs.pdf

Wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella , and transmitted viruses: an expanding pest complex affecting cereal crops

The role of plant biosecurity in preventing and controlling emerging plant virus disease epidemics.

Wheat streak mosaic virus is a virus that infects wheat and is transmitted by the wheat curl mite. This virus is responsible for wheat streak mosaic, a widely distributed disease of wheat that can cause economically important yield losses. The current viral taxonomy, vector biology, disease cycle, and management options of Wheat streak mosaic virus are reviewed in this article.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus on Wheat: Biology and Management

A complete review of the records of plant virus, viroid, liberibacter and phytoplasma in New Zealand has found evidence for 220 viruses, seven viroids, two liberibacters and two phytoplasmas Of these, 80 viruses, one viroid and two species of liberibacter have been reported as new to New Zealand since the last review in 2006 Ten viruses and two viroids, which were previously placed in the unconfirmed category, have now been confirmed Based on insufficient evidence, 25 virus, three viroid, three mollicute and 36 disease records are considered unconfirmed

A review of the plant virus, viroid, liberibacter and phytoplasma records for New Zealand.

This study provides evidence for frequent and multiple invasions of New Zealand's native grasses by exotic cereal and pasture viruses. Fifteen native and three exotic grasses from 29 North Island and six South Island sites were surveyed for the presence of viruses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Barley yellow dwarf virus and Cereal yellow dwarf virus (BYDV, CYDV: Luteoviridae) and Cocksfoot mottle virus (CoMV, Sobemovirus) are widespread throughout New Zealand. CoMV, previously considered to have a natural host range restricted to Dactylis and Triticum, was detected in Poa anceps, P. cita, Festuca novae-zelandiae, and Chionochloa rubra. New virus host reports include BYDV-PAV in Microlaena stipoides and Dichelachne crinita; BYDV-MAV in P. cita, F. novae-zelandiae and Hierochloe redolens; and CYDV-RPV in P. cita and M. stipoides. Nominal logistic regression analyses showed a correlation between the presence of exotic grass species and virus incidence. Host range experiments for BYDV-PAV and CoMV were performed with selected native and exotic grasses, and the results are discussed in context of the field-survey findings.

Incidence of cereal and pasture viruses in New Zealand's native grasses

In August of 2005, seeds of wheat (Triticum aestivum) breeding line 6065.3 tested positive for Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus) by a WSMV-specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay (2). The sequence of the 200-bp amplicon (GenBank Accession No. FJ434246) was 99% identical with WSMV isolates from Turkey and the United States (GenBank Accession Nos. AF454455 and AF057533) and 96 to 97% identical to isolates from Australia (GenBank Accession Nos. DQ888801 to DQ888805 and DQ462279), which belong to the subclade D (1). As a result, an extensive survey of three cereal experimental trials and 105 commercial wheat crops grown on the South Island of New Zealand was conducted during the 2005-2006 summer to determine the distribution of WSMV. Wherever possible, only symptomatic plants were collected. Symptoms on wheat leaf samples ranged from very mild mosaic to symptomless. In total, 591 leaf samples suspected to be symptomatic were tested for WSMV by a double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Of the 591 symptomatic samples, 81 tested positive. ELISA results were confirmed by RT-PCR with novel forward (WSMV-F1; 5'-TTGAGGATTTGGAGGAAGGT-3') and reverse (WSMV-R1; 5'-GGATGTTGCCGAGTTGATTT-3') primers designed to amplify a 391-nt fragment encoding a region of the P3 and CI proteins. Total RNA was extracted from the 81 ELISA-positive leaf samples using the Plant RNeasy Kit (Qiagen Inc., Chatsworth, CA). The expected size fragment was amplified from each of the 81 ELISA-positive samples. The positive samples represent 30 of 56 wheat cultivars (54%) collected from 28 of 108 sites (26%) sampled in the growing regions from mid-Canterbury to North Otago. These results suggest that WSMV is widespread in New Zealand both geographically and within cultivars. WSMV is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella) (3), which had not been detected in New Zealand despite repeated and targeted surveys. WSMV is of great economic importance in some countries, where the disease has been reported to cause total yield loss (3). Although WSMV is transmitted by seeds at low rates (0.1 to 0.2%) (4), it is the most likely explanation of the spread of the disease in New Zealand. References: (1) G. I. Dwyer et al. Plant Dis. 91:164, 2007. (2) R. French and N. L. Robertson. J. Virol. Methods 49:93, 1994. (3) R. French and D. C. Stenger. Descriptions of Plant Viruses. Online publication. No. 393, 2002. (4) R. A. C. Jones et al. Plant Dis. 89:1048, 2005.

First Report of Wheat streak mosaic virus on Wheat in New Zealand.

/pdf/wheat-streak-mosaic-virus-wsmv-detection-in-new-zealand-h7qbnoq32l.pdf

G. M. Burnip

Papers

First Report of Wheat streak mosaic virus on Wheat in New Zealand.

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) detection in New Zealand wheat crops