Understanding Virus Potential in Commercial Soybean Fields
2006
- UW-Madison Dept. of Plant Pathology
Project Media
Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV), Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), and Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) are frequently associated with soybean in Wisconsin (Table 1). The incidence of each virus has corresponded to activity of its primary insect vector. The bean leaf beetle, Ceratoma trifurcata, vector of BPMV, was most active between 2000 and 2002, with a noticeable decline since (Cullen et al., 2005). Although several aphid species transmit SMV and AMV, incidence of SMV and AMV relates strongly to the occurrence of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines. Data and field observations suggest that BPMV is the virus most capable of causing yield loss in commercial soybean fields in Wisconsin. However, the threat of BPMV is greatly diminished because of sporadic occurrence of bean leaf beetle populations needed for epidemics to occur. In contrast to the bean leaf beetle, soybean aphid population densities required for transmission of SMV and AMV have occurred more frequently since the soybean aphid was first detected in Wisconsin in 2000.