Eight decades of maize streak virus research

Maize streak virus (MSV) (genus Mastrevirus: family Geminiviridae) causes w hat is considered the most important and widespread disease of maize in sub -Saharan Africa. Maize streak was named by Storey in 1925. Since his classi cal work on the virus and its leafhopper vectors of the genus Cicadulina Ch ina, MSV has been the subject of intensive research. Aspects concerning the geographical distribution, virus diversity, molecular characterization, ve ctor-virus relationships and resistance breeding are reviewed. Special emph asis is placed on recent studies of MSV ecology and epidemiology in West Af rica. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.