Wheat dwarf India Virus and associated betasatellite infecting wheat in Pakistan

Authors: KUMAR, JITENDRA - University Of Minnesota; AHMAD, JAVED - Ayub Agricultural Research Institute; IMTIAZ, MUHAMMAD - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); Kianian, Shahryar

Submitted to: Australasian Plant Disease Notes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2020
Publication Date: 3/22/2020
Citation: Kumar, J., Ahmad, J., Imtiaz, M., Kianian, S.F. 2020. Wheat dwarf India Virus and associated betasatellite infecting wheat in Pakistan. Australasian Plant Disease Notes. 15. Article 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-020-00383-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-020-00383-y

Interpretive Summary: Viruses present a major disease problem in wheat growing areas of the world. Wheat dwarf India virus (WDIV) is a monocot infecting mastrevirus and has been reported to infect wheat in India. To better understand the geographical distribution of this disease and its possible impact on wheat production, we investigated dead samples collected from Pakistan. Leaf samples from 59 symptomatic wheat plants were collected during 2017-18 from farmers and research fields representing different geographical regions in Pakistan. The symptomatic plants showed either dwarfing, yellowing or both as reported previously. A total of 25, of the 59, samples tested positive for WDIV and out of those 25, 16 samples tested positive for AYLCB. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report of presence of WDIV and AYLCB in wheat in Pakistan. This is also the first report on the absence of alphasatellite in WDIV infection to wheat. Moreover, the presence and involvement of a betasatellite, AYLCB, in symptom severity of WDIV can have serious implications for the economic impact of the virus on crop yield. It will be interesting to examine the wheat samples from much broader geographical regions for the presence of satellites with WDIV.

Technical Abstract: Wheat dwarf India virus (WDIV) and associated satellites, alphasatellite and betasatellite, have been documented to infect wheat in India. The present study reports presence of WDIV and Ageratum yellow leaf curl betasatellite (AYLCB) in symptomatic wheat samples in Pakistan for the first time. WDIV and AYLCB detected in this study are highly similar to the previously reported WDIV and AYLCB from India. However, no alphasatellites were detected from the suspected wheat samples. Wheat samples tested negative for WDIV also had absence of AYLCB. The findings suggest a strong association between WDIV and AYLCB but not with the alphasatellite.