Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) has been a major disease causing a severe loss of yield in winter cereals worldwide. It has been recently reported that BYDV occurs frequently in wheat field and also causes serious yield reduction in Korea. This study was performed to investigate the regional distributions of BYDV strains in Korea and to identify the resistant cultivars or lines of wheat to the predominant BYDV strains, providing basic information for the breeding of BYDV-resistant wheat varieties. Using RT-PCR and EcoRI digestion methods, the regional distribution of BYDV strains in Korea from 1999 to 2000 showed that PAV strain was mainly detected about 65% (Vic-PAV 52.6% ; CN-PAV 47.4%) and MAV strain about 3%. Using ELISA test for the examination of BYDV resistance with 17 cultivars and 4 lines among Korean wheat, three cultivars, Gurumil, Topdongmil, and Olgurumil, were susceptible to BYDV and the others were resistant. In plant growth and yield component responses to BYDV infection, Gurumil showed significant difference between the uninfected and the infected, suggesting the most susceptible to BYDV among Korean wheat, but Eun-pamil and Seohae118 did no difference, an indication that they have the highest resistance.

• Mi-Ok Woo
• Hyung-Ho Park
• Jung-Hyun Nam
• Nam-Chon Paek