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Etiology

Serological Relationships Among Beet Western Yellows, Barley Yellow Dwarf, and Soybean Dwarf Viruses. James E. Duffus, Plant Pathologist, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agricultural Research Station, P. O. Box 5098, Salinas, CA 93915; Phytopathology 67:1197-1201. Accepted for publication 22 March 1977. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-1197.

The potential genetic vulnerability of substantial numbers of United States soybean cultivars to beet western yellows virus (BWYV), and the similarity of BWYV to soybean dwarf virus (SDV), a virus capable of inducing severe losses of soybean in Japan, led to serological studies between SDV and BWYV and other closely related viruses. Two antisera (from Japan) prepared against the dwarfing strain (SDV-DS) and the yellowing strain of SDV (SDV-Y) were tested against BWYV, turnip yellows virus (TuYV), beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV), and three isolates of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). The virus-antiserum mixtures were subjected to density-gradient centrifugation and analyzed photometrically and by virus neutralization. Antiserum prepared against the SDV-Y and SDV-DS isolates of the SDV from Japan reacted with BWYV isolates from the United States and Europe, with BMYV from Europe, with TuYV from Europe, and with the RPV isolate of BYDV. The SDV antisera did not react with the MAV and PAV isolates of BYDV in a manner identical to the reactions of BWYV, TuYV, and BMYV antiserum with these two BYDV isolates. Neither saline nor antiserum to the beet yellows virus, or healthy shepherd’s purse reacted with any of the virus isolates. Reciprocal tests with the SDV were not made.