Strawberry aphids & viruses

D.L. Moreau

Les Journées horticoles de Saint-Rémi 2015 - December 1-2, 2015

AAFC National Project - 2014 to 2017

Virology

Plant Health

Entomology

Researchers: Helene Sanfacon, D'Ann Rochon, Yu Xiang, Mike Bernardy, Xianzhou Nie, Aiming Wang

• Characterization & detection of viruses

• New virus detection methods

Researchers : Andrew Jamieson, Pervaiz Abbasi, Charles Forney, Julia Reekie, Samir Debnath, Debra Moreau

• Strawberry cultivar resistance• Aphid response to plant cues and cultivars• Causes of acute decline in strawberry plants

Researchers : Debra Moreau, Robert Foottit, Peggy Dixon

• Survey & identification of aphid complex• Identify potential aphid vectors

‘Coordinated studies on etiology, improved detection, spread, and management of strawberry decline disease outbreak, a threat to

strawberry production in Atlantic Canada.’

VirusesResearchers :

Helene Sanfacon, D'Ann Rochon, Yu Xiang, Mike Bernardy, Xianzhou Nie, Aiming Wang

Photo credits: A. Jamieson, AAFC; John Lewis, Perennia

Ongoing research

• Genome sequencing of Canadian isolates of viruses• Diagnostic improvement• Molecular characterization of viruses• Field surveys

Province SPV1 infected plants (%)

Nova Scotia 81

Prince Edward Island 32

Quebec 60

New Brunswick 73

Ontario 48

British Columbia 0

SPV1 may be newly discovered but not a newly emerging virus

• SPV1 was found with SMoV & SMYEV

• Mixed infections may be common in nature

Photo credit: John Lewis

Virus Surveys - New strawberry virus SPV1

Virus detected Infected plants (%)

SPV1 98SMoV 92SMYEV 82SPV1+SMoV 92SPV1+SMYEV 80SMoV+SMYEV 78SPV1+SMoV+SMYEV 74

Strawberry cultivar resistance

Researchers:A.R. Jamieson, Debra Moreau

Evaluation of strawberry genotypes for strawberry aphid preference

• FRA 48 - very late fruiting Fragaria chiloensis genotype• F chiloensis not preferred by aphids. • 700 seedlings (7 crosses with FRA 48) planted in 2015• In 2016 - some selections may express this trait.

RESULTS• 26 ‘new’ 2015 strawberry selections - negative for

viruses• Aphid control measures were effective?• Or, very few strawberry aphids in the area?

Strawberry aphid

Researchers:Debra Moreau, Robert Foottit, Peggy Dixon

Aphid Survey – NS 2015

• Aphid numbers remain low

• Known vectors present

• Virus confirmed in 5/9 fields tested (SMYEV, SMoV, SPV1)

• Strawberry NOT host for many confirmed aphid species

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Chaetosiphom fragaefolii

Not-winged Winged

Plantes hôtes non cultivées

• Found also on wild strawberries and Potentilla spp.• Mapped distribution of ‘wild’ hosts • Leaves sampled for direct counts• Composite leaf samples were tested for virus• Confirmed SMYEV in wild strawberries • Confirmed SMYEV and SPV1 in Potentilla spp.

Fraises sauvages

Potentille spp.

NS Report - John Lewis, Perennia

• Random sampling and testing of newly planted fields each September for the last 3• To establish whether infections are new ones from the field during that first

growing season. • Recovery continues to improve.• 2015 saw a bumper crop• Very light flight of SA in 2015• Some farms still showing high levels of new infections.

• Not spraying • Resident populations that overwintered

Ongoing

• Observations of eggs

• Monitor for first hatching

• Strawberry aphid & new virus

• Wild host plants

Spotted Wing Drosophila: Research update

• Weekly samples• ACV / ethanol• Yeast & sugar

• 1st capture - August 4

– Commercial raspberry

– Commercial wild blueberry

• 1st captures in crop and edge traps

• SWD emerged from raspberry, blackberry and highbush blueberry

• No flies emerged from wild blueberry samples

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Acknowledgements

My lab: (Technicians) Susan Carbyn & Debra Oxby, (Summer Students) Matt Peill, Sarah Scott, & Brianne Saunders.

Partners & Cooperators Commercial strawberry producersKirk Hillier, Acadia University, NSHorticulture Nova Scotia Pam Fisher, OMAFRA, ON Becky Hughes, University of Guelph, ONJohn Lewis, Perennia Corporation Chris Jordan, PEIDAF, PEI Roger Tremblay, NBDAAF, NB Leah Madore, Agrifoods, NL Andrei Igamberdiev, MUN, NLDawn Marshall, MUN, NL Deanne Simms, DNR, NLErika Bent, APM, NS

Agriculture CanadaPansy Rand, Ken Gough, Chad Cairns, Headerhouse staff, Dale Hebb, and summer students.

Thank you. Questions?

For more information, contact Dr. Debra Moreau at Debra.Moreau@AGR.GC.CA