The genomic nucleic acid of rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) was purified directly from enations of RRSV-infected plants. Its resistance to DNase and solubility in 2 M LiCl, plus its sharp thermal denaturation transition, with am melting temperature of about 83 degrees C in 0.15 m NaCl - 0.015 M Na citrate buffer, pH 7.0, showed the nucleic acid to be double-stranded RNA. On PAGE in 5% gels the RNA separated into 8 segments which occurred in equimolar amounts and had a total molecular weight of 11.63 x 10(6). RRSV resembles the fijiviruses, but its genome differs somewhat from those of other group members.