PRO/PL> High Plains virus, wheat - Australia (Qld)

[Brian Edmonds]

HIGH PLAINS VIRUS, WHEAT - AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND)
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Date: 10 Apr 2004
From: ProMED-mail<promed at promedmail.org>
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation [edited]
<http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/stories/s1081305.htm>

New wheat virus discovered in southern Queensland
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A wheat virus new to Australia has been found at the Leslie Research Centre 
in Toowoomba, southern Queensland. Scientists say the High Plains virus 
(HPV) is often found in conjunction with wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), 
discovered for the first time in Australia early in 2003. It has similar 
characteristics, causing streaking and mottling on leaves, but doesn't 
cause any major yield loss.

Chris Adriaansen from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, 
referring to a radio transcript from ABC National Rural Hour, says it's 
likely HPV has been in Australia for some time. It was found on 1 plant in 
1 glasshouse at Leslie Research Centre, and that plant was isolated and 
destroyed. He says that testing will be done throughout the Leslie Research 
Centre, as was done with WSMV.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO) has 
also been testing their material in Canberra, and there is an expectation 
that further testing will reveal HPV in other locations in Australia.

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ProMED-mail
<promed at promedmail.org>

[The fact that HPV has been detected in Australian wheat is not surprising. 
It has been recorded in the Americas, and there are unconfirmed reports of 
its presence in Russia. HPV can cause severe disease in barley, maize, 
oats, rye, and some grasses. Disease management depends upon interrupting 
the life cycle of the mite vector (_Aceria tosichella_) by plowing down 
volunteer wheat seedlings at least 2 weeks before seeding the next crop. 
The mite cannot survive in the absence of susceptible hosts for more than 
24 hours. At present there is no information on how HPV presence will 
affect wheat production in Australia. Time will tell.

An intriguing aspect of this report is that HPV appears to share some 
properties of a group of filamentous, eryiophyid mite-transmitted viruses 
(fig mosaic, thistle mosaic, rose rosette, redbud yellow ringspot, and 
wheat spot mosaic, all transmitted by _A. tosichella_ ) and possibly 
pigeonpea sterility mosaic, transmitted by _A. cajani_, and known to infect 
pigeonpea crops in India.

There is little information about the structural properties of HPV and 
others in the group. Relevant information about this group would be 
welcome. Let me know, please. References: 
<http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/000006/49/0000064983.html> 
<http://nematode.unl.edu/PPATHPER/Hpv.htm> - Mod.DH]

[see also:
2001
---
High Plains virus, maize - USA (Washington) 20010603.1096]

....................mpp/dh/pg/sh

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