A strain of beet western yellows virus in Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract

A persistent aphid-borne virus was isolated from turnip (Brassica rapa L.) and from sugar beet and fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants with yellowing and subsequently from 30 other crop and weed species in 15 plant families. Myzus persicae (Sulz.) was an efficient vector of the virus, having a minimum acquisition feeding period of 5 min, a minimum inoculation feeding period of 3 min, and a latent period of 9-27 h. Aulacorthum solani (Kltb.), Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Lipaphis erysimi (Kltb.), and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) were also vectors of this virus. Partially purified virus was isometric with a diameter of 27 nm. It was found to be closely related serologically to a strain of beet western yellows virus (BWYV) from California and less closely to several other luteoviruses. The type of symptoms, host range, vector specificity, manner of transmission, morphology, and serological relationships show that the virus is a strain of BWYV.