Breaking of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus resistance in sugar beet is independent of virus and vector inoculum densities

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is transmitted by Polymyxa betae to sugar beet, causing rhizomania disease. Resistance-breaking strains of BNYVV, overcoming single (Rz1) or double (e.g. Rz1  +  Rz2) major resistance genes in sugar beet have been observed in France and recently in the USA and Spain. To demonstrate if resistance-breaking is dependent on inoculum density, the inoculum concentration of BNYVV and P. betae in soil samples where resistance-breaking had been observed was estimated using the most probable number (MPN) method. The MPN-values obtained displayed highly significant differences with respect to the virus concentration in various soils and did not correlate with the ability to overcome resistance. Virus quantification in susceptible plants demonstrated that soils containing resistance-breaking isolates of BNYVV did not produce higher virus concentrations. The MPN assay was repeated with Rz1  +  Rz2 partially-resistant sugar beets to see if the resistance-breaking is concentration-dependent. There was no correlation between soil dilution and increased virus concentration in Rz1  +  Rz2 plants produced by BNYVV resistance-breaking strains. Determination of the absolute P. betae concentration by ELISA demonstrated that all resistance-breaking soil samples contained elevated concentrations. However, the calculation of the proportion of viruliferous P. betae did not show a positive correlation with the resistance-breaking ability. Finally resistance-breaking was studied with susceptible, Rz1 and Rz1  + Rz2 genotypes and standardised rhizomania inoculum added to sterilised soil. Results from these experiments supported the conclusion that resistance-breaking did not correlate with virus concentration or level of viruliferous P. betae in the soil.