Transmission of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) by aphid species in passionflowers

• Grant number: 22/07418-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Vinicius Henrique Bello
• Grantee: Larissa Carpim
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cowpea-aphid borne mosaic virus (CABMV) is the cause of the passion fruit woodiness disease. The disease reduces the useful life of the culture from 36 to approximately 18 months. CABMV is considered one of the limiting factors for the maintenance and expansion of the culture in Brazil. The virus belongs to the genus Potyvirus, whose genome comprises a single-stranded RNA molecule transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent way. However, aphids do generally not colonize passion fruit plants, being only visitors. Epidemiological studies on the temporal dispersion of passionfruit woodiness show that CABMV is rapidly disseminated in orchards where infected plants are not eradicated, reaching 100% of the plants between five and seven months after transplanting. In studies where the eradication (roguing) of CABMV-infected plants is practiced, 100% of infected plants also occur in approximately seven months after transplanting. This information demonstrates that the secondary spread of the virus is interrupted at no time, and the rapid spread of the virus depends on the population density and aphid species that fly daily over the cultivated areas. This work aims to identify the efficiency of the aphids Aphis gossypii, Melanaphis sacchari, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum maidis in CABMV transmission. These are aphid species that occur in sugarcane, corn, and soybeans crops and some vegetable crops near to passion fruit orchards. Another objective is to analyze the efficiency of the leaf disc method in studies of CABMV transmission by aphids, as it is fast and straightforward, and can improve transmission studies.