Mechanism of transmission of tobacco streak virus by Scirtothrips dorsalis, Frankliniella schultzei and Megalurothrips usitatus in groundnut, Arachis hypogaea L

Abstract

This paper summarizes the results from experiments designed to further study virus-vector-pollen-hosts relationships in groundnut. The mechanism of tobacco streak virus (TSV) transmission in groundnut and other host crops is different from that of other viruses in plants. There was no leaf-to-leaf transmission of TSV by adults of all three thrips species studied (S. dorsalis, F. schultzei and M. usitatus) and by nymphs of S. dorsalis and F. schultzei in groundnut and cowpea, as they did not acquire virus from infected plants. However, they assisted in TSV transmission in groundnut and cowpea in the presence of pollen from TSV-infected sunflower plants by causing injury to both leaf tissue of host plants and pollen