LEGUME VIRUS RESEARCH IN CANADA - A RETROSPECTIVE AND A VIEW OF THE FUTURE

Since 1970, approximately 100 research papers have been published in r efereed scientific journals on viruses infecting legumes (primarily al falfa, bean, pea, soybean, and sweetclover) in Canada. Seventy-three p ercent of this research was done in university laboratories (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, McGill, Toronto, and Western Ontario) and the remainder was done by the Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada (Harrow, Ottawa, and Vancouver). Important contributions f rom this research included first reports of viruses new to Canada (pea seed-borne mosaic [PSbMV], lucerne transient streak [LTSV], red clove r necrotic mosaic [LTSV], and sweetclover necrotic mosaic [SCNMV]); di stribution and cytopathology of Viruses in seed and pollen (alfalfa mo saic [AMV] and tobacco ringspot [TobRSV]); detection of infectious vir uses on the surface of pollen and its possible role in pollen transmis sion of viruses; first report and characterization of defective (D) RN As in potexviruses (clover yellow mosaic [CYMV]); construction of infe ctive transcripts (SCNMV) and analysis of genetic determinants in vira l genomic RNA (SCNMV) and D RNA (CYMV); helper virus-mediated local, b ut not systemic, movement of southern bean mosaic (SBMV) in a resistan t host; and production of polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodie s for improved diagnosis of virus diseases. A pessimistic view is pres ented for future research on legume viruses in Canada.