This website has been created as an online wheat streak mosaic and wheat curl mite portal primarily for use by grain growers, agronomistists and scientist, acting as a central repository for recording WSMV outbreaks, field observations, field trials, and current research.

CESAR in conjunction with GRDC have been conducting research on wheat curl mite in Australia and its association with wheat streak mosaic virus since 2004.  Over the following three years it is our intention that this website will evolve as outbreaks and information develop, and as required by grain growers, and the wider community.

The wheat curl mite is an eriophyoid mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer) that typically colonises the youngest tissue of wheat plants. WCM alone will generally not cause damage to wheat plants, although when population sizes become extremely large, WCM presence can be identified by a longitudinal rolling or curling of the leaf, a characteristic trait for which they derive their name.  WCM are tiny (approximately 0.2mm in length), wingless, and known to be the vector of WSMV.

WSMV has the potential to cause millions of dollars of damage anually to the wheat industry as observed in the United States.  Up until recently, Australia had not felt the effects of WSMV, and it was only in 2003 that isolated cases of WSMV in eastern Australia were officially recorded.  Subsequent to this, massive outbreaks (affecting at least 5000 hectares of wheat with many crops sustaing 100% losses) in the NSW high rainfall region were reported in 2005, and last year (2006), saw reports of WSMV in WA (which was initially thought to be WSMV free).  It is now evident that the entire Australian wheat belt is at risk of WSMV outbreaks.

This website aims to be as interactive as possible, we will provide as much relevant information as possible, but this will be best achieved by input from the grain grower community.  Please feel free to contact us via email with any related observations or queries.