Different types of resistance to soil-borne viruses of wheat

In Germany the furovirus Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV) and the bymovirus Wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) occur often together particularly in several rye production areas. Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV), a wheat infecting furovirus, has so far been found only in one field near Heidelberg. Each of these viruses is transmitted by Polymyxa graminis. The cultivation of resistant varieties is the only promising measure to prevent yield losses caused by soil-borne viruses. Resistance of wheat against the bymovirus WSSMV is comparable to the immunity of barley to the bymoviruses Barley yellow mosaic virus and Barley mild mosaic virus. In case of immunity no virus multiplication is observed in resistant cultivars. In contrast, all wheat cultivars are hosts of the furoviruses. All cultivars - including the resistant ones can be infected following mechanical inoculation with SBWMV and SBCMV. Resistance to furoviruses is based on reduced levels of virus multiplication in roots and on inhibition of virus movement from roots to leaves. Because of the inhibited virus movement from roots to aerial parts of plants this type of resistance is referred to as translocation resistance. In spite of the different resistance mechanisms the absence of virus symptoms on the leaves is a common selection criterion for both immunity and translocation resistance. Therefore, the symptom free development of plants on uniformly infested fields is the best criterion for selecting wheat lines with resistance to soil-borne viruses. The limited suitability of other selection methods is discussed.