During a field survey conducted in 19 districts of Kenya in 1994-1995, 11 wild grass species including Coix lachryma-jobi, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Digitaria velutina, Eleusine indica, Eragrostis macilenta, Eragrostis tenuifolia, Panicum maximum, Panicum trichocladum, Setaria homonyma, Setaria Verticillata and Urocloa brachyura were found to be naturally infected with maize streak virus (MSV). The presence of MSV in these grass hosts was confirmed through transmission of MSV to the susceptible maize type, Golden Bantam using Cicadulina mbila, and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The most efficient source of the virus was E. tenuifolia. On the basis of MSV symptoms seen on wild grass hosts, P. maximum was the most widely distributed streak-infected grass in Kenya. However, within the maize plantings in farmers' fields, D. Velutina was the most abundantly streak-infected grass. In a separate experiment, the Cicadulina leafhopper population was estimated on small plots planted with 12 grass species at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Muguga. The highest leafhopper density (25/m2 was recorded in field plots planted with E. tenuifolia. No symptomless hosts of MSV were found during the study.

English

9801|AGRIS 9702

Jose Juan Caballero

CIMMYT Publications Collection