The occurrence and effects of barley yellow dwarf virus in maize in SW England

Abstract

During 1975 and 1976 barley yellow dwarf virus was isolated, using the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) from five maize cultivars in the Exeter area. The isolates produced interveinal flecking, often accompanied by leaf reddening, in the maize cultivar Anjou 210 and several other susceptible cultivars. ln 1976 visual assessment of six commercial maize plantings indicated natural infections ranging from 11 to 14% of plants, whilst infection in a disease observation plot ranged from 0.8 to 27.5%. Population counts for the three aphid vectors Sitobion avenae (F.), Metopolophium dirhodum (W.) and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), associated with the crop, corresponded closely with the Rothamsted Insect Survey results from Starcross, Devon.The maize cultivars Anjou 210 and De Kalb 202 were grown in experimental plots with individual rows containing 0, 25, 50, or 100% barley yellow dwarf‐infected plants. Infection caused severe stunting of Anjou 210 but had less effect on De Kalb 202. Dry matter yield losses of 50% for Anjou 210 and 27% for De Kalb 202 were recorded; there were also significant changes (p<0.05) in dry matter content, metabolisable energy, digestible crude protein and water soluble carbohydrate.