Plant Pathology

Triticum Mosaic Virus
Kansas State University scientist Dallas Seifers has found a virus never before detected in wheat.  Seifers is calling the new virus, triticum mosaic.  It seems to have affected cultivars that have been developed for their resistance to wheat streak mosaic.

Dallas Seifers Interview (Windows Media Player)
Dallas Seifers was interviewed on 1400 KAYS and discussed the Agricultural Research Center's Plant Pathology Program, wheat viruses, and the new wheat variety RONL.

Seifers interview on Agriculture Today  (Windows Media Player)
K-State plant pathologist Dallas Seifers talks about the never-before-detected new wheat plant disease that he identified this past growing season, called triticum mosiac virus, and the follow-up research he's now undertaking to determine its significance to Kansas wheat production.

High Plains Virus (HPV)
The high plains virus (HPV) was first identified in 1993.  The same year the vector was determined (at KSU-ARCH) to be the wheat curl mite, which also vectors/transmits the wheat streak mosiac virus.  Current research concerns effect of variability of isolates on critical germ plasm and biology of vector transmission.  Currently, there are no estimates on the economic impact of the high plains virus in wheat.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Infected Wheat
Initial spring symptoms of wheat streak mosaic virus usually show up in April on edges of fields near volunteer wheat. Look for yellow streaking or mosaic patterns on young leaves. Infected plants are stunted and tiller poorly. Tillers of infected plants are sometimes prostrate on the ground. As the weather warms, symptoms become more severe. Leaves on infected plants turn yellow from the tip down, but usually the leaf veins remain green longest. This gives the leaves a yellow and green striped appearance. Often, leaves fail to unfurl completely. This is due to the microscopic wheat curl mite which carries the virus. You can look for curl mites with a 10X magnifying lens under the curled portion of the leaf. Curl mites look like tiny white rice grains. If curl mites are found, odds are very high that the plant is infected with wheat streak mosaic virus.

Yellow Head Pathogen
In 1996 wheat with yellow, shriveled heads were observed in Kansas.  A pathogen was isolated from these yellow heads.  The pathogen is being propagated in corn at KSU-ARCH for further study.  This Yellow Head phenomenon has been observed in wheat throughout the great plains since its discovery in 1996. 

Johnsongrass Mosaic Virus (JgMV)
Evaluating germplasm for resistance to Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus (MDMV), Johnsongrass Mosaic Virus (JgMV), Sugarcane Mosaic Virus-Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus (SCMV-MDMV), Sorghum Mosaic Virus (SrMV):

Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV-PV139)
Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV-PV139) infects sorghum.  The PV-139 strain was isolated from green foxtail in 1967.  The middle two leaves are sorghum infected with an isolate of FoMV isolated from naturally infected sorghum at KSU-ARCH in 1993.  The right two leaves are healthy sorghum controls.