Barley Yellow Dwarf. For this reason, it is recommended that you seek the assistance of a qualified plant disease diagnostic laboratory to positively identify the virus or viruses involved. For obvious reasons, it is best to do this prior to making any major, and potentially costly, crop management decisions such as applying nitrogen or pesticides, or undertaking crop destruction and replanting to a different crop. The epidemiology of the disease is directly linked to the population dynamics and biology of this tiny mite pest. Grass species often differ in their potential to support either the mite or the virus.
Corn is a moderate host for both the virus and the mite.
Although these species are extremely common in Kentucky, apparently none of them contribute significantly towards WSM epidemics. If they did, we would see more evidence of WSM each year. This thesis is backed up by observations and studies from areas where WSM is common. Then, if the volunteer wheat is not killed at least two weeks prior to the emergence of wheat in the same or adjacent fields, the mite will move onto the emerging wheat and spread the virus to the young wheat seedlings. Mites move to the emerging wheat by wind.