| Summary: | Aphids are the most important vectors of potato viruses during the crop’s growing season.
The most widespread and damaging viruses, the potato virus Y and potato leaf roll
virus, are transmitted by aphids in non-persistent and persistent manner, respectively. The
two viruses cause the greatest concern of potato producers and a great constraint to seed
potato production in Serbia, the region and across the world. Potato virus Y is particularly
harmful, given its distribution and spreading rate.
Seed potato production systems under well-managed conditions involve a series of
virus control measures, including the monitoring of outbreaks of winged aphids, their
abundance and species composition, in order to forecast virosis, i.e. potential plant and
tuber infection periods. Monitoring the aphid vectors of potato viruses enables determination
of optimum dates for haulm destruction when higher than normal numbers of
winged aphids as vectors of economically harmful diseases have been observed. Haulm
destruction in a potato crop reduces the risk of plant infection and virus translocation from
the aboveground parts to tubers, thus keeping the proportion of infected tubers within
tolerance limits allowed for certain categories of seed potatoes. This practice has positive
effects if used in combination with other viral disease control measures; otherwise, it
becomes ineffective.
This paper provides an integral analysis of the effects and role of monitoring outbreaks
of aphids, their abundance and species composition in timing haulm growth termination
to prevent plant infection, virus translocation and tuber infestation in potato crops in Serbia
and the wider region.
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