This paper reviews the importance of Potato apical leaf curl virus (PALCV) in India, the biology of its major vector Bemisia tabaci and possible control measures of PALCV and B. tabaci. PALCV has appeared as a new problem in potato growing areas of northwestern plains of India. The first report of PALCV was made from Hissar around 2000. PALCV is a whitefly (B. tabaci) transmitted viral disease and the symptoms are manifested primarily in the form of upward or downward curling of leaves, with 40-75% infection being recorded in cultivars grown in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. B. tabaci is a polyphagous pest that feeds on numerous fibre (particularly cotton), food, vegetable and ornamental plants. B. tabaci produces many generations in a year and reaches high population densities. To check the disease incidence, whitefly suppression using imidacloprid either as seed treatment or as foliar application early in the season is recommended. To minimize within-field spread of viruses, removal of virus-infected plants is suggested. Application of mineral and vegetable oils has been found to inhibit virus transmission and possibly can help to avoid difficulties with insecticide resistance in whiteflies.
In India, more than 85% of the total potato production is realised from the subtropical Indo-Gangetic plains where potato is cultivated during winter. The cotton whitefly, B. tabaci is a major pest of potato as it transmits the Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (potato) causing the Apical leaf curl disease which leads to huge yield losses. The population dynamics of cotton whitefly was studied at 12 locations across the northern plains of India from 2015–17. It was observed that the cotton whitefly appears on potato immediately after crop emergence. The whitefly adults exhibited four different patterns of population dynamics at different locations. Whiteflies remained on the potato crop as long as minimum daily temperature was above 10–12ºC after which the whiteflies either disappeared from the crops or their flight activity was considerably reduced as indicted by the yellow sticky trap catch data. The whitefly incidence was higher at locations where potato is preceded by crops preferred by whitefly such as cotton, broad beans, groundnut etc. Perusal of the data on number of eggs laid and ensuing nymphs per plant indicated that the contribution of immigrating adults to the whitefly population is much higher than that of the colonising population for major part of the crop period. Thus, in addition to temperature, cropping sequence acts as a major factor in shaping the pattern of whitefly infestation. The results will help in deciding cropping pattern and better timing of insecticidal applications for healthy seed potato production.
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