A clover mosaic virus in New Zealand pastures

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Abstract
Clover mosaic virus is widespread in New Zealand infecting over 50% of plants in many pastures more than four years old. The virus has been found occurring naturally on white, red, subterranean, and strawberry clovers, broad bean, and sweet pea. It has been transferred experimentally to pea, bean, blue lupin, mung bean, cowpea but not to Lotus uliginosus, lucerne, cucumber, spinach, tobacco, or N. glutinosa. The virus is readily transmitted experimentally by mechanical inoculation. Natural transmission occurs in the field in the absence of mechanical damage, suggesting the presence of an insect vector but the species involved has not yet been determined. Seed transmission did not occur. From host range, symptoms, and physical properties (thermal inactivation 60° to 62°c, tolerance to dilution 10-6 but not 10-7 ) , the virus appears to be closely related to pea-wilt virus of Johnson (1942). No immunity has been found in 194 white-clover mother plants. An antiserum has been prepared by injection of purified virus into a rabbit. The specific serological precipitate is the flocculent or H type suggesting the virus has a rod shaped particle. In the glasshouse, infection with the virus caused a reduction in leaf yield of 24% in white, 55% in red, and 36% in subterranean clovers.

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