Unique virus-like particles were associated with five eriophyid mite-borne plant diseases of unknown etiology; fig mosaic, redbud yellow ringspot, rose orsette, thistle mosaic, and high plains disease of corn and wheat. Quasi-spherical, double membrane-bound particles (DMPs), 120 - 200 nm in diameter, were observed in the cytoplasm of all cell types in symptomatic leaves of infected plants. No DMPs were observed in symptomless plants. The DMPs in symptomatic thistles were associated with two types of inclusions, electron-dense amorphous material and tubular aggregates. Similar amorphous inclusions were also found in corn and wheat with high plains disease, while tubular inclusions were observed in figs with mosaic symptoms. The particles and inclusions were similar in some aspects to immature particles associated with viroplasms of animal and insect poxviruses and also to the double-enveloped particles of tomato spotted wilt virus associated with viroplasms during early stages of infection, but were unique and unlike any known plant viruses. The DMPs and associated viroplasm-like inclusions in the high plains disease were specifically immunogold labeled in situ with the disease-specific antiserum. Thread-like structures, similar to tenuivirus particles, present in the partially purified virus preparations were also immunogold labeled with the antiserum. It is suggested that the thread-like structures are derived from the DMP. In many cells of symptomatic corn and wheat samples, DMPs occurred together with flexuous rod-shaped particles and cylindrical inclusions of wheat streak mosaic potyvirus (WSMV), suggesting that the disease is caused by a mixed infection of WSMV and the agent represented by the DMPs. Based on cytopathology, symptomatology and mite and/or graft-transmissibility, the five diseases described in this paper are potentially caused by virus(es) and the DMPs associated with these diseases may represent virus particles. If the DMPs are indeed viral in nature, they would comprise a new group of plant viruses.

Plant growth promoting fungi(PGPF) obtained from zoysiagrass rhizosphere offer dual advantages - induse systemic disease resistance response in cucumber to C. orbiculare infection and cause enhancement of plant growth and increase yield. PGPF protected plants either by colonizing roots or by their metabolites. PGPF offer an advantage by protecting plants for more than 9 weeks and 6 week in the greenhouse and field. PGPF-induced plants limited pathogen spore germination and decreased the number of infection hyphae on the leaf, and increased lignification at places of attempted pathogen infection, thus reducing the pathogen spread. PGPF elicited increased activities of chitinascs, glucanases, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase to C. orbiculare infection in cucumber plants. The role of PGPF in elevating cucumber defense response to pathogen infection suggests potential application of PGPF as biological control agents.