Tomato chlorosis virus in potato: assessments of incidence and damage, latent and incubation periods, transmission efficiency and competitive displacement between Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 and MED.

• Grant number: 21/08351-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Renate Krause Sakate
• Grantee: Gabriel Madoglio Favara
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/18274-3 - Begomovirus and crinivirus in solanasceous: regional molecular epidemiology and sustainable integrated management alternatives, AP.TEM

Abstract

Potato is an essential source of food worldwide, being the third most consumed after rice and wheat. The crinivirus tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), transmitted by whiteflies, can cause significant damage to solanaceous, mainly to tomato crops, with significant losses. This crinivirus has already been reported infecting potatoes. However, there is a lack of information about the occurrence, incidence, transmission by different Bemisia tabaci cryptic species, latent and incubation periods, and especially the damage caused by this virus in potato crops. This project has the proposal to investigate the ToCV incidence in cultivated potatoes in the main producing regions of São Paulo State and the predominant whitefly species in this crop. Also, the damage caused by ToCV in potato plants infected in the field will be investigated. In addition, the latent and incubation periods of the virus in potato plants will be determined to understand the virus/plant interaction. Finally, the competitive displacement between B. tabaci MEAM1 and MED in potato plants and the efficiency of ToCV transmission by these cryptic species will be evaluated, as they can affect the epidemiology of the disease in the field.