A survey led by Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) members suggests that Wheat Dwarf Virus (WDV) may be more widespread than previously thought or recorded.
Transmitted by the leafhopper Psammotettix alienus, the virus has long been recognised as a damaging cereal disease in continental Europe but has received little attention in the UK.
Its symptoms can easily be confused for barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), meaning it has likely been overlooked or misdiagnosed.
But a collaboration of AICC members, entomologists and plant virologists has now confirmed WDV incidence at multiple sites in 2025 through targeted sampling and laboratory testing.
Positive results have largely been seen in winter barley, but significantly, the disease has also been uncovered in recent winter wheat samples from Norfolk.
Initial results indicate that WDV is spread by primary infection in early autumn, rather than secondary spread within crops, aligning with the life cycle of the leafhopper vector. Patterns observed so far point towards greater risk in early-drilled crops, particularly on lighter soils following hot and dry summers that favour vector activity.
Grasses, volunteers and cover crops may also act as reservoirs for the virus. Importantly, the collaboration is focused on understanding risk rather than generating alarm.
“We are not saying this is a problem everywhere, but without recognising what we are seeing in the field, the industry cannot assess where the risks lie, or where research should be focused,” explained Tim Martin of Apex Agronomy.
