Association of aphid vectors and potato virus Y in a diverse cropping landscape

Potato virus Y (PVY) poses a significant threat to potato production worldwide. The virus is vectored solely by aphids and is capable of infecting plants in many different families. Landscape composition has been shown to influence aphid vector communities and PVY spread; however, there is no information on the impact of crop species diversity on vector assemblages and PVY prevalence. The goal of this study is to determine associations of aphid species and PVY prevalence, and to then assess how crop diversity affects these relationships. We sampled aphid populations using three pan traps placed around 10 potato fields in the San Luis Valley in Colorado, the second largest potato producing region in the US. Aphid sampling was performed weekly, and virus prevalence was measured in 20 potato plants biweekly using ELISA throughout the cropping season. Findings of our study can aid in development of disease mitigation strategies by the avoidance or encouragement of planting certain crop species to reduce PVY prevalence.