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TECHNICAL SESSION: From virus biology to management strategies

Virus Prevalence in Ohio Wheat Fields is Associated with Cropping Practices
Brian Hodge - The Ohio State University. Pierce Paul- The Ohio State University, Lucy Stewart- USDA ARS

Ohio is a leading producer of soft red winter wheat in the U.S. Viruses are known to impact wheat production; however, the prevalence of wheat-infecting viruses in Ohio has been under-reported. Samples were collected from 103 wheat fields in Ohio in 2012, 2016, and 2017, and subjected to RT-PCR or ELISA for virus identification. Cropping practices for each location were recorded regarding the presence of nearby volunteer wheat, nearby corn fields, and the previous crop used in the rotation. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), Cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV), Wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV), Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Brome mosaic virus (BMV), and Cocksfoot mottle virus (CfMV) were among the most prevalent, being detected in 67, 63, 55, 28, 26, and 17% of the samples, respectively. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the presence of BYDV, WSMV, WSSMV, and CfMV were associated with the presence of volunteer wheat, BYDV and CfMV with monocots as the previous crop, and BMV with the presence of nearby corn fields (p < 0.10). Runs and odds ratio analysis indicated that BMV, BYDV-PAV, CYDV-RPV, WSMV, and WSSMV were spatially clustered in some fields, but only WSSMV was significantly more likely to be clustered than WSMV (p < 0.05). These results indicate that known and previously unreported viruses may impact wheat production in Ohio. The associations between virus presence and cropping practices and evidence of clustering occurring at multiple spatial scales provide insight into virus biology and potential management strategies.