Natural occurrence of barley stripe mosaic virus in wild oats (Avena fatua)

Wild oats (Avena fatua), naturally infected with barley stripe mosaic virus, were detected in Manitoba in 1973 and 1974. The identity of the virus was confirmed on the basis of particle morphology, infectivity, and serological assays. Infected wild oats were rare and were found only in fields of barley in which a high proportion of the latter plants were also infected. The virus was transmitted through 22% of the seeds collected from naturally infected wild oats. Pale green spindle-shaped stripes were the most prominent symptom in leaves of naturally infected wild oats, whereas in leaves of seedlings infected by seed only mosaic symptoms developed.