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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #328609
Title: Transmission of squash vein yellowing virus to and from cucurbit weeds and effects on sweetpotato whitefly (hemiptera: aleyrodidae) behavior

Author
item SHRESTHA, D. - University Of Florida
item MCAUSLANE, H.J. - University Of Florida
item Adkins, Scott
item SMITH, H. - University Of Florida
item DUFAULT, N. - University Of Florida
item WEBB, S. - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2016
Publication Date: 7/11/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62996
Citation: Shrestha, D., Mcauslane, H., Adkins, S.T., Smith, H.A., Dufault, N., Webb, S.E. 2016. Transmission of squash vein yellowing virus to and from cucurbit weeds and effects on sweetpotato whitefly (hemiptera: aleyrodidae) behavior. Environmental Entomology. 45(4): 967-973. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw086.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw086

Interpretive Summary: Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV) is a whitefly-transmitted virus that causes watermelon vine decline in the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, California, Central America and the Middle East. SqVYV infects several common cucurbit weeds in Florida which serve as sources of the virus. This report documents the role of these weeds in the transmission of SqVYV by whitefly and the resulting implications for management of watermelon vine decline.

Technical Abstract: Several common cucurbit weed reservoirs for Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV) were compared with watermelons as sources of inoculum. Weed susceptibility to SqVYV was also analyzed. In addition, behavior of the whitefly vector of SqVYV was studied on infected and non-infected plants. This report provides an overview of SqVYV sources and importance, with implications for management of SqVYV-induced watermelon vine decline for growers, extension workers, crop consultants and research and regulatory scientists.