Evaluation of the primary and secondary dispersal of Tomato severe rugose virus to Capsicum spp. Genotypes by Bemisia tabaci MEAM1

Abstract

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae) is considered one of the most threatening agricultural pests in the world due to its direct effect on the suction of sap from plants and especially due to its indirect effect in transmitting viruses, particularly the begomovirus. In Brazil, the predominant species of begomovirus within Solanaceae is Tomato severe rugose virus-ToSRV. A possibility of management of this disease is the use of cultivars that are resistant or tolerant to both the virus and the insect vector. This study evaluated the primary and secondary dispersal of ToSRV by B. tabaci, MEAM1 species, also known as biotype B, usin ToSRV-tolerant species Capsicum baccatum (IAC-1357), C. annuum (IAC-1566) and C. frutescens (IAC-1544). The genotype IAC-1544 showed a smaller number of plants infected by ToSRV during the primary dispersal assay and no efficiency in the isolate transmission in the secondary dispersal. These results contribute to capsicum and pepper breeding forresistance to ToSRV and its insect vector.