Prevalence of Wheat dwarf India virus in Wheat in India

Wheat dwarf India virus (WDIV) is the first mastrevirus reported to have subgenomic molecules called satellites. To establish association of the satellites with WDIV across a variety of ecoclimatic conditions, a countrywide survey was carried out. WDIV and its associated satellites (alphasatellite and betasatellite) were identified in plant samples collected from each of the 14 field locations surveyed in the study. Though there were location- and variety-related differences in disease scale, most of the infected wheat cultivars in fields across the country carried both the satellites. The wide occurrence of WDIV disease complex in India suggests the need to assess how the spread of WDIV and its satellites can be limited in wheat fields.