cure a plant with this disease. For this reason, prevention is key when trying to control this disease. Chemical controls, crop rotation, and soil sanitation have all proven rather ineffective at combatting the virus. Resistance is the main way of controlling BaYMV at this time. Researchers have discovered 15 recessive and 3 dominant genes that are resistant to the virus, but none of them are completely resistant. Furthermore, new virulent strains of the virus are constantly emerging. Even when a certain gene provides resistant to one strain, there are oftentimes other strains that it is susceptible to. To further complicate matters, the mechanism of resistance is still unknown. However, since resistance yields the best results at this point, this is the primary measure of control. Resistant cultivars are sold across Europe and have been used with mild success. A study performed in Japan yielded positive results for resistance to BaYMV when using Kashimamugi, Haruna Nijo, and Haganemugi, which are all barley cultivars. These cultivars yielded no symptoms after inoculation, and it appears specific genes are responsible for resistance. Importance The main problem with the BaYMV, or any cereal virus for that matter, is that it is an important cash crop for a number of different uses. Some examples include animal feed, beer and alcohol production, and a number of other essential items. This valuable resource has suffered tremendous losses due to the barley yellow mosaic virus. Numbers have reached upwards of 50% yield loss in the United Kingdom at times, and up to 80% yield loss in Japan. This would equate to losing 255 million dollars in one year in the UK, and even more in Japan if barley yields remain steady. The most significant problems can be found in Eastern Asia and the United Kingdom. References External links ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database: Barley mosaic virus Family Groups - The Baltimore Method Viral plant pathogens and diseases Bymoviruses