Characteristics of Sweetpotato Whitefly-Mediated Silverleaf Syndrome and Associated Double-Stranded RNA in Squash

Abstract

A 48-h feeding by 20 adult sweetpotato whiteflies (SPWF), Bemisia tabaci, resulted in 100% (63/63) of the squash (Cucurbita pepo Dixie) plants showing vein clearing and/or leaf silvering. No vein clearing and/or leaf silvering was apparent in squash plants exposed to SPWF for 8 h or less. The ability to mediate silverleaf symptoms was correlated with the density of SPWF. The percentage of plants that exhibited leaf silvering after 48-h feeding by 2, 5, 10, and 20 SPWF were 0, 13, 84, and 100%, respectively (...)