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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #168223
Title: SILVERLEAF WHITEFLY AND ASSOCIATED VIRUS DISEASE PROBLEMS IN CUCURBIT PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA.

Author
item Wintermantel, William - Bill
item NATWICK, E - UCCE, EL CENTRO,CA
item TURINI, T - UCCE, EL CENTRO,CA
item MAYBERRY, K - UCCE, EL CENTRO, CA
item GILBERTSON, R - UC, DAVIS

Submitted to: International Plant Protection Congress
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2004
Publication Date: 5/11/2004
Citation: Wintermantel, W.M., Natwick, E., Turini, T., Mayberry, K., Gilbertson, R. 2004. Silverleaf whitefly and associated virus disease problems in cucurbit production in California. Proc. 15th International Plant Protection Congress. p. 503.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring, is a devastating pest of cucurbit crops in Arizona, California, and Texas causing both direct feeding injury and transmitting virus diseases. Geminivirus-like disease symptoms were discovered in watermelon by the authors in 1998. Surveys in 1999 and 2000 showed that a disease problem with virus-like symptoms was wide spread in cantaloupe melon, Cucumis melo L., in Imperial Valley, California and Yuma Valley, Arizona. However, there were no disease symptoms in honeydew melon. The new cucurbit-infecting geminivirus was named Cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV) in 2000. A PCR assay was developed which provided CuLCrV-specific detection. In host range studies at the UC Desert Research and Extension Center in 2000 and 2001, CuLCrV infected most squashes, watermelons, cantaloupes and a few other melons as well as gourds, but did not infect honeydew melons, Crenshaw melons, casaba melons and several other cucurbit types in the trial. A survey of weeds, non-cucurbit crops and whitefly populations I n 2001, using our CuLCrV-specific PCR assay, showed that 1) the CuLCrV is able to overwinter in the Imperial Valley, 2) weed species tested were not hosts of CuLCrV and 3) the bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., is a host. We also determined that CuLCrV is present in Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley in California. Silverleaf whitefly was identified as the vector of CuLCrV in 2002.