VIEW ARTICLE

Effect of Tobacco Ringspot Virus on Yield, Persistence, Flowering, and Seed Set of Lotus corniculatus. S. A. Ostazeski, Research Plant Pathologist, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705; P. R. Henson(2), and C. S. Garrison(3). (2)(3)Research Agronomists, respectively, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. Phytopathology 60:1753-1755. Accepted for publication 3 July 1970. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-60-1753.

The effect of chronic tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) infection was measured in three clones of birdsfoot trefoil. In greenhouse tests, measurements were made on virus-infected as well as virus-free clones on number and length of roots produced on vegetative cuttings and dry weight yields taken in pot culture. Field plantings were used to evaluate vigor, persistence, umbels per plant, pods per umbel, seed per pod, and weight per 100 seed. Analyses of variance showed clonal differences to be highly significant (.01) in all tests. Virus effects were highly significant, or became so with time, in all tests. Clone × virus interactions were significant in all measurements except number of roots produced, dry wt of top growth, and wt per 100 seed. These observations emphasize that TRSV-infected trefoil plants, though symptomless, are deleteriously affected by the virus, and that clonal differences in reaction to the virus do exist.