Responses of some grain and pasture legumes to 16 strains of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

Abstract

The symptoms and host ranges of 16 strains of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) from both Subgroup I and II were compared on selected pasture and grain legumes. None infected either Arachis hypogea or Glycine max, although 13 other plant species were infected. The observation that success of inoculation varied with the time of year, may limit the usefulness of the biological differentiation of strains. No hosts tested distinguished Subgroup I or II isolates. The distribution of symptoms and virus in Medicago spp. was uneven and the virus was first detected in some cultivars 6-12 weeks after inoculation, indicating that any test for resistance to CMV in these species would have to be prolonged. Most cultivars of lupin tested were severely affected by several strains of CMV, which caused necrosis and death under conditions which excluded other pathogens.