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Influence of cocksfoot streak virus on the growth of single cocksfoot plants
Author(s) -
CATHERALL P. L.,
GRIFFITHS ELLIS
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1966.tb06874.x
Subject(s) - biology , tiller (botany) , dry matter , agronomy , virus , horticulture , virology
SUMMARY Healthy and streak‐virus‐infected cocksfoot plants of a single genotype were examined over a 2‐year period. In the first year infection decreased tillering by about 40%, but in pot‐grown plants individual tiller weights were 30% higher so dry‐matter yield was decreased by only 10%. In the second year the larger tiller weights compensated completely for decreased tillering. No similar compensation was observed in field‐grown plants. The virus had the largest effects when soil fertility was highest, healthy plants producing significantly greater responses to nitrogen effects, but potassium, at certain times of the year, produced larger tiller weights in infected than in healthy plants. Infection decreased dry‐matter yield more in frequently than in infrequently cut plants. Infection greatly decreased the number of vegetative but not of fertile tillers. Infected plants tended to flower earlier and produced fewer, slightly smaller, viable seeds.