Wheat viruses don’t know borders: identification in Ukraine, Moldova and their impact on yield under global warming

The early spring of 2024 contributed to emergence of viruses both in Ukraine and in neighboring Moldova. Already in April, wheat plants with signs of virus damage were selected in Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and almost at the same time in Moldova. In May, the Wheat stripe mosaic virus (WSMV) was also discovered in Poltava. WMSV was detected in both countries, which has a significant epidemic potential, leading to a decrease in yield. In addition, in Ukraine, we continued to observe the manifestation of cold stress due to a daily temperature drop of more than 20ºC, which led to the appearance of symptoms such as purple leaves and the development of chlorotic and yellowish-brown stripes, which are very similar to viral damage. The absence of viruses in such stressed wheat plants has been conclusively proven. A reliable decrease in wheat yield was established not only under the influence of a viral infection, but also in variants with a daily temperature difference in May-June, that is, the phase of emergence into the tube and the beginning of earing.