Temperature affected transmission, symptom development and accumulation of Wheat dwarf virus

Abstract

One of the biotic agents of yellowing and stunting in wheat and barley cultivations is Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) which is naturally transmitted by the leafhopper Psammotettix alienus (Dahlbom). WDV-Wheat and WDV-Barley isolates of WDV were transmitted to wheat and barley, respectively, using the leafhoppers under four temperature regimes of constant 20, 25, 30, and 35°C. Infection rate, symptom development and virus content of the virus-inoculated plants were determined and the data was statistically analysed. The results showed that the temperature of 25°C was associated with the highest infection rate caused by the viruses. Moreover, P. alienus nymphs were found to be more efficient vectors of WDV than adults, highlighting the importance of nymphs in the epidemiology of wheat dwarf disease. WDV-infected plants incubated at 35°C showed less symptoms than those kept at 20, 25, and 30°C. ELISA results showed that these plants had comparatively low virus content. However, there was no significant difference between the infection rate, symptom development and virus content in plants infected by WDV-Wheat or WDV-Barley.

Keywords

• geminivirus
• psammotettix alienus
• symptom development
• epidemiology
• cereal