A Procedure to Identify Resistance to Wheat Soilborne Mosaic in Wheat Seedlings. W. W. Bockus, Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506. C. L. Niblett, Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611. Plant Dis. 68:123-124. Accepted for publication 8 August 1983. Copyright 1984 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-123.

A procedure is described whereby wheat cultivars resistant to wheat soilborne mosaic (WSBM) can be identified in the seedling stage. Plants grown in flats were flooded three times upon emergence at 2-hr intervals at 15 C with distilled water that had roots of virus-infected plants submerged in it for 2 hr. After 6–8 wk of growth at 15 C, 74–98% of plants of susceptible genotypes showed symptoms. Conversely, of cultivars possessing high levels of WSBM resistance under field conditions, only 18% or fewer showed symptoms after 6–8 wk in the growth chamber.