During the past two decades, whitefly-transmitted viruses and their whitefly vector have become economic constraints to cucurbit production in the southeastern U.S. states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The different virus species—squash vein yellowing virus, cucurbit leaf crumple virus, and cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus— induce similar symptoms, and mixed infections of two or more viruses are common in cucurbit crops and weed reservoirs. The sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a cucurbit pest itself and transmits all of these viruses, although different modes of transmission are employed. Collectively, these factors make accurate viral diagnosis essential for effective disease management. This presentation shares research findings about the biology and detection of whitefly-transmitted viruses of cucurbits, along with insights into how novel detection methods, such as the use of detector dogs, may be integrated into a neighborhood pest management strategy for controlling whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses.
