Sensitive Serologic Detection of Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus in Barley Seed. R. M. Lister, Professor, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. T. W. Carroll, Professor, and S. K. Zaske, Laboratory Technician, Department of Plant Pathology, Montana State College, Bozeman 59715. Plant Dis. 65:809-814. Accepted for publication 2 February 1981. Copyright 1981 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-65-809.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay readily detected barley stripe mosaic virus in extracts from individual barley seeds, endosperms, and embryos. Test sensitivity depended on the concentrations of immunoglobulins used, but these tests and those of bulk seed extracts indicated that it was possible to detect very low proportions of infected seed in seed samples and to discriminate between samples with different proportions of infected seed. Although serologically specific electron microscopy was also a sensitive test procedure, it required expensive equipment and expert personnel.