Interaction Of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus and Fusarium culmorum (W. G. Sm.) Sacc. in Winter Wheat

The barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) epidemics, which occurred predominantly in northern Germany in 1988–90 and caused unusual yield losses of wheat, prompted our study on interactions of BYDV and Fusarium culmorum. At the late stages of plant development (EC 55/65) infections with BYDV resulted in a lower yield reduction of wheat plants than infections with F. culmorum. Combined infections at flowering resulted in severer yield reduction, indicating additive effects of the two pathogens. However, if wheat infected by BYDV at stage EC 25/35 was secondarily inoculated with the fungus at EC 55/65 the yield was less reduced than in combined infections at EC 55/65. Our results proved that the susceptibility of wheat plants to F. culmorum is increased when infection by BYDV takes place during the late stages of growth. These results correspond to observations during 3 years of the epidemic in Germany. In these years BYDV was spread mainly during the late spring, resulting in a severe secondary infection by the fungus. From the results of these investigations it may be concluded that during the years of BYDV epidemic the yield of wheat was reduced to an economically important extent because of the fungal infection, which was favoured by the virus infection.