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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #61783
Title: INCIDENCE AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF MAIZE RAYADO FINO VIRUS (MRFV) IN LATIN AMERICA IDENTIFIED BY DOT-BLOT HYBRIDIZATION

Author
item KOGEL, R - UNIV DE COSTA RICA
item Hammond, Rosemarie
item RAMIREZ, P - UNIV DE COSTA RICA

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Maize rayado fino virus (MRFV) is of great agronomic importance. It causes significant yield losses in maize throughout Central and South America with losses approaching 100%. It poses a potential threat to the US maize crop; the virus has been detected in Florida and Texas. This report describes a comprehensive survey using molecular approaches to examine virus incidence in eight Latin American countries. The results confirm and extend previous reports of the widespread occurence of the virus. The data will allow regulatory officials to make informed decisions regarding disease status in other countries and should prove useful to ecologists, breeders, and plant pathologists whose work involves maize germaplasm.

Technical Abstract: Samples of maize (Zea mays L.) exhibiting symptoms of the maize rayado fino virus (MRFV) were collected in eight Latin American countries during August - December of 1992, as part of a survey of virus distribution. Maize with MRFV symptoms were found in all the countries and life zones (12) sampled. All of the collected plants were tested for the presence of MRFV using hybridization with an MRFV cRNA probe. Different patterns of MRFV symptomatology were observed and the presence of the virus was confirmed by hybridization analysis.