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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #345046
Title: Impact of timing and method of virus inoculation on the severity of wheat streak mosaic disease

Author
item WOSULA, EVERLYNE - University Of Nebraska
item MCMECHAN, ANTHONY - University Of Nebraska
item KNOELL, ELLIOT - University Of Nebraska
item Tatineni, Satyanarayana - Ts
item WEGULO, STEPHEN - University Of Nebraska
item HEIN, GARY - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/26/2017
Publication Date: 3/1/2018
Citation: Wosula, E.N., Mcmechan, A.J., Knoell, E., Tatineni, S., Wegulo, S.N., Hein, G.L. 2017. Impact of timing and method of virus inoculation on the severity of wheat streak mosaic disease. Plant Disease. 102: 645-650. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-17-1227-RE.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-17-1227-RE

Interpretive Summary: Wheat streak mosaic, an economically important disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Great Plains region, is caused by Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV). WSMV is transmitted by wheat curl mites under field conditions. Information on seasonal dynamics of WSMV, method of virus infection, and its impact on wheat crop is essential in assessing disease risk and determination of management practices that minimize disease severity and the associated yield loss. In this study, the impact of timing and method of virus infection on severity of WSMV and yield in two winter wheat cultivars, Mace (resistant) and Overland (susceptible), was examined. WSMV incidence and impact on yield were higher in wheat cv. Overland in early fall inoculations with mites, followed by early spring and late fall inoculations. In contrast, inoculation of wheat cv. Mace with mites or mechanically resulted in low levels of infection with no significant yield loss. The results from this study indicate that WSMV incidence was higher in the early fall inoculated Overland compared to late fall and early spring inoculations, in mite inoculated compared to mechanically inoculated plants, and in Overland compared to Mace. This study suggests that susceptible wheat cultivars infected with WSMV before tillering with higher mean temperatures were likely to be severely damaged compared to late infections with relatively low temperatures.

Technical Abstract: Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), transmitted by the wheat curl mite Aceria tosichella, frequently causes significant yield loss in winter wheat throughout the Great Plains of the United States. A field study was conducted in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 growing seasons to compare the impact of timing of WSMV inoculation (early fall, late fall, or early spring) and method of inoculation (mite or mechanical) on susceptibility of winter wheat cultivars Mace (resistant) and Overland (susceptible). Relative chlorophyll content, WSMV incidence, and yield components were determined. The greatest WSMV infection occurred for Overland, with the early fall inoculations resulting in the highest WSMV infection rate (up to 97%) and the greatest yield reductions relative to the control (up to 94%). In contrast, inoculation of Mace resulted in low WSMV incidence (1 to 28.3%). The findings from this study indicate that both method of inoculation and wheat cultivar influenced severity of wheat streak mosaic; however, timing of inoculation also had a dramatic influence on disease. In addition, mite inoculation provided much more consistent infection rates and is considered a more realistic method of inoculation to measure disease impact on wheat cultivars.