Student Scholars & Faculty Mentors
Projects funded by our internal grants program. Search the table to find students or faculty mentors that share in your interests, and could help you achieve your goals in research, creative activity, or service.
Aphid Transmission Efficiency of Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus in Cucurbit Crops
Name: Clay,
Advisor: Ryndock, Eric
Department: BIOL
Award: Keever Award
Abstract: Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is a plant virus that negatively impacts the quality and yield of zucchini and cucumber related crops. ZYMV is commonly passed to plants by small insects called aphids. We are interested in comparing the efficiency of two species of aphids known to pass the virus, the green peach and the melon aphid. Previous research using zucchini suggests that the green peach aphid transmits virus at a higher rate. We are interested in comparing the two aphids in transmitting ZYMV to cucumber plants. Our hypothesis is that the green peach aphid will transmit more efficiently to cucumber plants than the melon aphid. To test our hypothesis, we will allow aphids to feed on infected plants. Aphids will then be transferred to new healthy plants, allowed to pass the virus, and within 2-3 weeks plants will be visually inspected for signs of infection. The percentage of infected plants will be compared between the two aphid species to compare transmission efficiency.