Progress 07/01/24 to 06/30/25
Outputs Target Audience:Taregt Audience during this period included: - Crop and livestock producers (specially small grain producers) - Graduate and Undergraduate Students - Ag Extension Agents and Educators - Farm and Technical staff - Researchers and Scientists at the national and international stages - Ag Industry (consultants, Chemical reps, seed) - General public (through news releases) Changes/Problems:Heavy rain affected early planting in one location, but we managed to seed a week later. The second foliar spray was not feasible in December-seeded plots due to freezing. Therefore, foliar spray comparisons may be lacking in late-planted plots. For these comparisons, the focus will be on the effects of planting date and seed treatment on yield, aphid numbers, and BYDV incidence. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One PhD student is being trained through this project. This project provided an opportunity to train a postgraduate technical support. One undergraduate student will be trained through this project by the next reporting period. In addition, eight fam crew members learned about BYDV, cereal aphids, and different management practices. The regional producers who attended our workshop are now familiar with BYDV symptoms in the field and recommended management practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been communicated through handouts, presentations, and a peer-reviewed publication. Our research activities have been publicized through images posted on social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. Funding success was initially announced through VT News and the Southern Piedmont AREC newsletter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Harvesting our plots will be the upcoming activity. All BYDV testing from Year 1 of this project is expected to be completed by the end of August 2025. The harvest and BYDV data will be analyzed and used in the publication of an Extension publication. This study will be repeated in the fall, with plant tissue samplings conducted twice in the fall and once in the spring. The first- and second-year data will be pooled and are expected to result in a second peer-reviewed publication. Two more field days are expected for the second year of this project. One undergraduate student will be trained by the next growing season.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Test the natural vegetation in and around fields to identify regional reservoirs of BYDV and aphid vectors in Virginia: This is an ongoing effort. To date, we have sampled more than 30 sites. In 2024, 100% of the small grain samples submitted by Virginia producers tested positive for BYDV. Samples collected and submitted in 2025 are being evaluated. 10 sites with the small grain-grazing land interface have been identified and sampled. Growers are being contacted to identify additional sites for fall sampling. Experiments were also conducted to examine aphid and BYDV interactions with different types of tall fescue, the most common forage grass. Establish field plots to determine and demonstrate appropriate practices to minimize BYDV; Demonstration plots have been established in three locations: 1) Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) near Blackstone, VA, 2) Eastern Virginia AREC, Warsaw, VA, and 3) Blanton Farm in Amelia Court House, VA. There are three planting dates in each location, with 32 plots per planting date per location. Heavy BYDV infections and cereal aphid infestations were detected at the Southern Piedmont AREC and the Eastern Virginia AREC locations. Blanton Farm had aphid infestations, but a limited number of plants are showing symptoms. All plots have been scored for aphid presence before the first foliar application and 1-2 weeks after foliar applications. Fall samples have also been collected from 5 plants in each plot to evaluate BYDV infection. Scorings for aphids and sampling for BYDV evaluation were also completed in the spring to determine the extent of spring infections. Demonstrate the effectiveness of planting time in evading BYDV infection. So far, our results indicate that early planted plots have relatively higher aphid numbers compared to optimally and late-planted plots. Although very few aphids were found on late-seeded plants, yield data are needed to examine the practicality of late planting (i.e., late November and early December). Late-planted plots are shorter and thinner than the early-planted and optimally-planted plots in all locations. Compare the efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatment and foliar pyrethroid applications in managing cereal aphids and BYDV. The seed treatment gaucho was very effective in reducing aphid numbers and protecting wheat against aphids. This effect disappeared in the spring, a result which was expected since the effect of seed treatment fades away over time. Although seed treatment was effective in reducing aphid numbers in early planted plots, it failed to protect plants from BYDV. Therefore, early seeding (early to mid-October) should be avoided. Late October and early to mid-November are recommended seeding times for Eastern Virginia and the Southern Piedmont region of Virginia, respectively. A similar pattern, with gaucho being effective in reducing aphid numbers, is observed for plots seeded at the optimal time (late-October through mid-November). BYDV testing is in progress for optimal and late planting dates. Determine yield loss due to BYDV and estimate farm profitability implications of BYDV damage and adoption of the control practices evaluated through Obj. ii. Plots will be harvested by mid-June, and data will be analyzed after harvest. Develop educational material and conduct workshops to increase grower awareness of recommended management practices for controlling BYDV. So far, during our events, we have provided stakeholders with handouts that describe BYDV, cereal aphid vectors, current best management practices, and reported our research progress. A numbered Extension publication is in preparation and will be submitted after the harvest data is analyzed.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Parizad, S. & A. Rashed. Impact of natural vegetation on barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) epidemiology. Entomological Society of America, Pheonix, November 2024.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Rashed, A. & Parizad, S. Southern Piedmont AREC barley yellow dwarf field day, Blackstone, VA, May 2025. (handouts provided)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Rashed, A. & Parizad, S. Eastern Virginia AREC Small Grains Field Day, Warsaw, VA, May 2025. (handouts provided)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
New USDA grant helps Virginia Tech researchers combat barley yellow dwarf virus in southeastern winter wheat. By Suzanne Pruitt
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/09/USDA-grant-barley-yellow-dwarf-virus.html
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Parizad, S. & A. Rashed. 2025. Can barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) incidence in winter wheat be influenced by endophyte-tall fescue association in grazing lands? Entomologia Generalis, 45: 473-480.
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