Occurrence of barley yellow dwarf virus in cereals and grasses of the low-rainfall wheatbelt of South Australia

South Australia is in the dry temperate zone where most cereal crops are grown in an area of low rainfall, with a crop-free season from December to April. The incidence of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) was assessed by ELISA from 1989 to 1991 in wheat crops and irrigated pastures of South Australia. The incidence of BYDV was low in most wheat crops of the low-rainfall area in 1989 and 1990 (less than 1% of plants infected), but moderate levels of infection (1–10%) were observed in some early-sown crops. BYDV infection was more widespread in the high-rainfall area (south east of South Australia). A high incidence of BYDV was observed in the irrigated pastures of the three areas surveyed (4–86%). Of the five previously described strains, the Rhopalosiphum padi/Sitobion avenae strain (PAV) was the most common in wheat samples (> 90%). PAV and the R. padi-specific strain (RPV) were found in pasture grasses, alone or in mixed infection. Virus incidence was greater in Festuca spp. (56%) and Lolium perenne (30%) than in other species (2-–9%).