DETECTION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF BARLEY YELLOW DWARF VIRUS ON WHEAT PRODUCTION AREAS IN THE AEGEAN REGION OF TURKEY

Wheat (Triticum aestivum spp. L.) among the crop plants for human nutrition assessment, is important in terms of cultivation and production. Barley yellow dwarf luteovirus is the most prevalent viral disease on grain areas in the world and causes significant yield loss. This study was conducted in order to determine the presence of BYDV on the grain areas in the Aegean region. A Total of 214 samples were collected proportionally with the cultivated land according to TUIK 2013 and were tested by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. The infection rate was found to be 9.8%. The.sequences of the infected two isolates (Aydin and Izmir) were compared with the similarities from other isolates both in Turkey and worldwide. As a result of the sequence analysis and phylogenetic methods, the Aydin isolate showed 100% (KJ816648.1) and 99% (KJ816646.1, KJ816649.1, KJ816645.1 and KJ816643.1) similarity with isolates in Turkey, a 99% similarity with the USA (EF521828.1), Morocco (AJ007922.1), France (AY167109.1) and Tunis (JX402453.1) isolates; and the Izmir isolate showed a 99% similarity with the USA (DQ631850.1), Azerbaijan (JX275852.1), Brazil (JX067837.1), China (EU332309.1), Morocco (AJ007929.1), Sweden (EF521841.1), Egypt (KM046987.1) and (KJ816660.1; KJ816655.1) isolates in Turkey. This study is important for one being conducted in the Aegean region regarding the detection of BYDV in grain areas.