Abstract

Mware Rice and D. M. Declan

The efficiency of cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) transmission by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)
(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus) Russell (Hom, Aleyrodidae) was
determined. The transmission utilized field collected adult whitefly populations fed on (allowed 48 h
acquisition access feeding period (AAP)) on CBSD (cassava brown streak virus disease) symptomatic
leaves before transfer onto clean recipient plants. In subsequent transmission experiments, adult
whitefly numbers of each species were varied per plant to determine the effect of whitefly numbers on
the rate of CBSV transmission. CBSV was transmitted by B. tabaci allowed 48 h AAP on CBSD infected
cassava leaves at a higher rate of 40.7% compared to that of A. dispersus at 25.9%. This work reports
for the first time the transmission of CBSV by A. dispersus. A likely biological property of CBSV
reported here for the first time is its ability to be transmitted by two whitefly species belonging to two
different genera ( Bemisia and Aleurodicus). Management of CBSD therefore needs to focus on the
control of the two whitefly species to reduce the chances and rates of infection and disease spread.