Australian Journal of Agricultural Research (1991) 42, 819-826

D.S. Teakle, S. Hicks, M. Karan, J.B. Hacker, R.S. Greber and J.F. Donaldson (1991)
Host range and geographic distribution of Pangola stunt virus and its planthopper vectors in Australia
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 42 (5), 819-826
Abstract: Natural hosts of pangola stunt virus (PaSV) in eastern Austalia were found to be Digitaria eriantha ssp. pentzii (pangola grass), D. ciliaris (summer grass) and D. milanjiana. Transmission tests using the planthopper vector, Sogatella kolophon, showed that D. polevansii, D. eriantha ssp. eriantha, D. swazilandensis and the Australian native, D. divaricatissima were also susceptible, whereas D. didactyla was not infected. In tests of 22 species in 15 other genera, only Urochloa panicoides (annual urochloa grass) was infected. In field surveys, PaSV was commonly found in pangola grass in near-coastal districts from Grafton, N.S.W. to Walkamin, N. Qld and was detected up to 100 km inland at Toowoomba. The virus was not detected in either pangola grass or D. eriantha ssp. eriantha in subhumid areas west of Toowoomba or at Gayndah. Sogatella kolophon was collected from Bamaga, N. Qld to Murwillumbah, N.S.W. It was commonly associated with both PaSV-infected and PaSV-free digitgrass pastures. It is concluded that PaSV poses a threat to many digitgrasses in near-coastal districts of Qld and subtropical N.S.W., but so far is unknown in inland Australia.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sogatella kolophon	Digitaria (crop)	Australia (South+SE)
	Sogatella kolophon	Digitaria (crop)	Australia (NT+QLD)
	Pangola stunt virus	Digitaria (crop)	Australia (South+SE)
	Pangola stunt virus	Digitaria (crop)	Australia (NT+QLD)