Serological Identification of Luteoviruses of Small Grains in China. Guang- He Zhou, Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Zhuo-Min Cheng, You-Ting Qian, and Xiang-Cai Zhang, Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China; and W. F. Rochow, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Plant Dis. 68:710-713. Accepted for publication 21 February 1984. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1984. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-710.

Samples of 307 plants of wheat or oats collected from six provinces in China were dried and sent to Ithaca, NY, for serological assays. Each sample was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with four virus-specific antisera to compare Chinese isolates with four luteoviruses previously characterized in New York. Results permitted division of the samples into five groups. One group (99 isolates) appeared similar to MAV (transmitted specifically by Sitobion avenae), a second group (17 isolates) appeared similar to RPV (transmitted specifically by Rhopalosiphum padi), and a third group (3 isolates) appeared similar to RMV (transmitted specifically by R. maidis). A fourth group (45 isolates) was more similar to PAV (transmitted nonspecifically by R. padi and S. avenae) than to any of the others, but identity of these isolates was not clear. The remaining 143 samples did not react with any of the virus-specific antisera, a result that might merely reflect presence of luteoviruses serologically distinct from the four we used. When results for all samples were summarized according to location of each collection, a pattern emerged that was in agreement with occurrence of specific aphid vectors in the areas involved.