VIEW ARTICLE

Vector Relations

Acquisition and Transmission of Blueberry Shoestring Virus by Its Aphid Vector Illinoia pepperi. K. M. Morimoto, Graduate research assistant, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824; D. C. Ramsdell(2), J. M. Gillett(3), and W. G. Chaney(4). (2)(3)Professor, and research technician, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824; (4)Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824. Phytopathology 75:709-712. Accepted for publication 1 February 1985. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-75-709.

Blueberry shoestring virus (BBSSV) causes a serious disease of highbush blueberry in Michigan, several other states, and Canada. Radioimmunosorbent assay was used to detect BBSSV in individual aphid vectors (Illinoia pepperi) allowed acquisition access feeding periods of 1, 6, 14, 24, 48, and 72 hr on infected blueberry leaves or on Parafilm^? sachets containing purified virus in 20% (w/v) sucrose in phosphate buffer. The first significant detectable amount of virus acquisition was observed between 12 and 24 hr from sachets and between 6 and 12 hr from infected tissue. Both acquisition curves became asymptotic between 24 and 48 hr. The curve was much flatter for diseased tissue compared to the curve from the relatively higher concentration of virus in sachets. Individual aphids varied considerably in amount of virus taken up over a 24-hr acquisition access feeding period (0.15 to 11.3 ng per aphid). Uptake of BBSSV by aphids from symptomatic versus symptomless infected blueberry leaves was similar. A 24-hr acquisition access feeding period on BBSSV-diseased plants followed by inoculation access feeding periods of 1, 6, 14, 24, 48, 96, and 192 hr on healthy 1-yr-old blueberry plants resulted in 5?28% BBSSV infection for all inoculation access feeding periods.