Abstract :
[en] Beet yellows virus (BYV) is an economically significant sugar beet virus that negatively impacts yields. Efficient control of BYV was done for the past 30 years through the effective control of its vectors by insecticides from the group of neonicotinoids. The European Union banned the use of neonicotinoid insecticides outdoors from 2018 due to concerns over biodiversity and human health. This decision resulted in large-scale losses for the sugar beet industry due to the outbreak of BYV. The main vectors of the virus are aphids, Myzus persicae (the green peach aphid), and Aphis fabae (the black bean aphid). In order to support the development of new products or methods that will enable efficient control of the BYV, the virus-vector relationship must be better understood. However, the key knowledge gaps in the virus-vector-plant interactions are the insufficient understanding of the effects that the coexistence of both aphid species, at various densities, can have on the dynamics of virus transmission. Therefore, this study aims to investigate variations in the efficiency of viral transmission among sugar beet plants depending on aphid density, species, and morphs (winged/apterous). The lab experiments are based on the virus transmission from an infected plant to a vector and from a vector to a healthy plant. Thus, collected data will provide information if the aphid species (or a mix of species), density, and morph affect the transmission and how, hence these pieces of information will set the solid base for future studies and the discovery of new pest control methods.
