Is cannabis aphid a vector of sweet potato feathery mottle virus?

Monday, November 11, 2024

8:48 AM – 9:00 AM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 128 AB, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

Reuel Ortiz Pablo (he/him/his)

Graduate Research Assistant
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Co-Author(s)

JD

Jeffrey Davis

Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Aphids are important pests of both indoor and outdoor industrial hemp production. Large aphid populations can lead to wilting and plant death, and honeydew produced by large aphid populations can lead to sooty mold, reducing photosynthesis. Four species of aphids are commonly found on hemp: Aphis gossypii Glover, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Phorodon cannabis Passerini, and Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale (Sasaki). Of these, A. gossypii and M. persicae are the most important vectors of sweetpotato potyviruses in Louisiana. With the addition of a new aphid host (hemp) and new aphid (P. cannabis) to the agroecosystem, it is essential to determine how these introductions could impact sweetpotato virus vector epidemiology. Studies were conducted to (1) determine if P. cannabis would probe on I. nil using electropenetrography and (2) compare sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) vector efficiency of A. gossypii to P. cannabis. Transmission assays consisted of 5 replications with 20 apterae per replication. Aphids were fasted for 2 hr and then allowed an acquisition access period of 30 min. Aphids were then given an inoculation access period of 30 min. The test plants were transferred to the greenhouse for symptom development. Similarly, EPG studies were conducted to characterize probing behaviors of A. gossypii and P. cannabis to determine if there were differences in behaviors that could correlate with their respective SPFMV transmission efficiencies.