Poster: Epidemiology: Pathogen-Vector Interations
645-P
Turnip aphid preference for turnip plants infected with different strains of Cauliflower mosaic virus
M. ADHAB (1), J. Schoelz (1), D. Finke (1); (1) University of Missouri - Columbia, MO, USA
Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is transmitted in a semi-persistent manner by several species of aphids. In this study, we investigated whether the turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) exhibits a preference for healthy turnip plants (Brassica rapa L. var. rapa) or plants infected with CaMV. Two strains of CaMV, W260 and NY8153, as well as one recombinant isolate, H12, were used in this study. Preference assays were conducted with detached leaves in petri dishes or with whole plants. When given a choice between infected or healthy plants, aphids chose W260-infected and H12-infected plants significantly more often, regardless of the test. Interestingly, aphids did not exhibit a preference for turnips infected with CaMV strain NY8153 over healthy plants. The recombinant isolate H12 was chosen because it does not elicit symptoms in turnips; the aphid’s preference of H12-infected plants over healthy turnips indicated that aphids were not attracted to plants based on differences in color or a pattern associated with disease. We are now focused on identifying differences in volatile profiles between healthy, W260- and NY8153-infected turnips that might influence the preference of an aphid for a specific host. These results suggest that CaMV infection affects the aphid’s choice of host and this in turn may have implications for the spread of different strains of CaMV.