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The effects of white clover mosaic virus on vegetative growth and yield of clones of S.100 white clover
Author(s) -
POTTER L. R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.928
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-3059
pISSN - 0032-0862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3059.1993.tb01567.x
Subject(s) - stolon , biology , petiole (insect anatomy) , leaf size , trifolium repens , dry weight , yield (engineering) , cultivar , horticulture , alfalfa mosaic virus , agronomy , botany , coat protein , rna , biochemistry , gene , hymenoptera , materials science , metallurgy
Ramet of eight clones of cultivar S.100 white clover were infected with white clover mosaic virus (WCMV) and compared with uninfected ramets. Infection reduced herbage yield over two cuts by between 25 and 75%, with a mean of 40% at both. Petiole length was reduced significantly by 8% at the first cut, but not at the second. There was an overall reduction of about 6% in mid‐rib length. The mean length of the longest stolon was reduced by about 20% at both cuts, but this did not reflect the reaction of whole plants as total stolon length was reduced by a mean of 43%, within a range of 25–75%. The mean dry weight of stolon was reduced by 47%, while stolon specific weight (weight per unit length) was reduced by 7%. The reduced leaf yield in WCMV‐infected plants was caused mainly by a reduction in stolon growth and not by a reduction in leaf size. Virus infection reduced the total number of growing points per plant by over 30%, but the number per metre of stolon was increased by over 20%. The total acid‐soluble carbohydrate content of stolons was unaffected. For all growth parameters measured, there was considerable variation between the eight clones in their reaction to WCMV infection, most clones being affected detrimentally. In one clone, however, leaf dry weight yield of infected plants at the first cut was double that of healthy plants. At the second cut, both leaf and total stolon dry weights were greater by 40%, the total number of growing points by 80%, and the growing points per metre of stolon by 30%.