Environmental factors influencing aphid transmission of potato virus Y and potato leafroll virus

Summary The effect of temperature, relative humidity (RH) and light on aphid transmission of potato virus Y (PVY) and potato leafroll virus (PLRV) was studied using as vectorsMyzus persicae Sulz. andAphis gossypii Glov. Host susceptibility was enhanced by 48 h pre-inoculation exposure at 25°C and by 48 h post-inoculation exposure to 30°C. High RH (80%) in both pre- or postinoculation phases enhanced host susceptibility. Continuous fluorescent light (4000 lux) did not alter the rate of transmission of either virus. High RH (80–90%) and high temperature (25–30°C), when combined, increased virus transmission by 30–35%. Transmission rates were reduced by nearly 50% if RH was maintained at 50% in either of the two phases even if the temperature was 25 or 30°C. Both viruses were acquired by aphids earlier (13–20 days after inoculation) when the source plants were incubated at 25 or 30°C. Most virus was transmitted from plants inoculated with PVY 13 to 16 days and with PLRV 15 to 20 days previously. Transmission rates of PVY were enumerated from symptom expression on test plants and by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) whereas those of PLRV were enumerated from symptom expression alone.