Abstract
Assays revealed spiroplasmas, presumed to be corn stunt spiroplasmas, in most of the fall-planted maize plants. In some plants, maize rayado fino virus, maize stripe virus, maize dwarf mosiac virus (strain B) and novel, straight, tubular viruslike particles (.apprx. 720 nm long) were found. Pathogens were found in all plants with diagnostic symptoms and in some plants with only symptoms of a coinfecting pathogen or unidentified symptoms. This is the 1st evidence of a high incidence of spiroplasmas associated with a severe maize disease in the USA.