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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405490
Research Project: GxExM Systems Approach to Crop Disease Management

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Characterizing the vector competence of Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae and Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to transmit cotton leafroll dwarf virus to cotton in the United States

Author
item HEILSNIS, BRIANNA - Auburn University
item MAHAS, JESSICA - Auburn University
item CONNER, KASSIE - Auburn University
item PANDEY, SUDEEP - University Of Georgia
item CLARK, WILSON - Auburn University
item KOEBERNICK, JENNY - Auburn University
item SRINIVASAN, RAJAGOPALBABU - University Of Georgia
item MARTIN, KATHLEEN - Auburn University
item JACOBSON, ALANA - Auburn University

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/2023
Publication Date: 5/12/2023
Citation: Heilsnis, B., Mahas, J., Conner, K., Pandey, S., Clark, W., Koebernick, J., Srinivasan, R., Martin, K., Jacobson, A. 2023. Characterizing the vector competence of Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae and Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to transmit cotton leafroll dwarf virus to cotton in the United States. Journal of Economic Entomology. 116(3):719-725. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad080.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad080

Interpretive Summary: In order to devise effective management strategies for insect-transmitted viruses it is essential to understand what species are capable of transmitting the virus, and metrics associated with how quickly they acquire the virus (acquisition access period, AAP), how quickly they transmit the virus (inoculation access period, IAP), and how long they can retain and transmit the virus (retention time). This study, conducted by Auburn University and University of Georgia, characterized the AAP, IAP and retention time for winged and wingless morphs of the cotton aphid to transmit CLRDV in the USA, and tested whether or not the cowpea aphid and green peach aphid can transmit. Wingless and winged morphs of the cotton aphid acquired CLRDV in 30 min and 24 h, inoculated CLRDV in 45 and 15 min, and retained CLRDV for 15 and 23 d, respectively. The other two species did not acquire CLRDV from, or transmit CLRDV to, cotton.

Technical Abstract: Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) is a yield-limiting, aphid-transmitted virus that was identified in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in the United States of America in 2017. CLRDV is currently classified in the genus Polerovirus, family Solemoviridae. Although 8 species of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are reported to infest cotton, Aphis gossypii Glover is the only known vector of CLRDV to this crop. Aphis gossypii transmits CLRDV in a persistent and nonpropagative manner, but acquisition and retention times have only been partially characterized in Brazil. The main objectives of this study were to characterize the acquisition access period, the inoculation access period, and retention times for a U.S. strain of CLRDV and A. gossypii population. A sub-objective was to test the vector competence of Myzus persicae Sulzer and Aphis craccivora Koch. In our study, A. gossypii apterous and alate morphs were able to acquire CLRDV in 30 min and 24 h, inoculate CLRDV in 45 and 15 min, and retain CLRDV for 15 and 23 days, respectively. Neither M. persicae nor A. craccivora acquired or transmitted CLRDV to cotton.