Effect of vegetable oil on the efficiency of transmission of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus by Aphis gossypii Glover in passion fruit plants

Passion fruit woodiness is caused by the cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV; genus Potyvirus) and is the most common passion fruit viral disease in Brazil. The main route of viral transmission is inoculation by aphid vectors through intracellular stylet puncture. The use of oils can affect the acquisition and inoculation of the virus throughout the process of aphid stylet penetration in the cell. This study aimed to determine vegetable oil doses that do not cause phytotoxicity in passion fruit plants and if the use of oil affects the efficiency of acquisition and transmission of CABMV by Aphis gossypii in the plant. The results showed that doses of up to 1.0% of vegetable oil did not cause phytotoxicity symptoms in passion fruit seedlings in the greenhouse. The species A. gossypii was 80% efficient in transmitting CABMV, and the use of vegetable oil reduced the acquisition and transmission of the virus by A. gossypii in passion fruit seedlings by 98.67% and 60%, respectively. The use of vegetable oil may be a strategy to control the transmission of CABMV and thus reduce the economic losses caused by the viral disease.

Automated summary

The use of vegetable oil in controlling passion fruit woodiness disease shows promising results by reducing virus acquisition and transmission without causing phytotoxic symptoms in plants. Even though Aphis gossypii is highly efficient in transmitting CABMV, the use of vegetable oil significantly decreases the spread of the virus.