Aphid Monitoring and PVY Risk in Northern Michigan, Dr. Abigail Cohen
Aphids are a major issue for potato growers because populations develop quickly and colonize fields, and many species transmit and spread plant pathogens like Potato Virus Y (PVY). There are many species of aphids active throughout the season, so they present a constant risk of infection. By tracking aphid abundance and identifying species that are PVY vectors, we can estimate and forecast PVY risk, but this requires a level of sampling effort that is difficult to sustain in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula because of the distances between fields. To address this, we developed a decentralized sampling network among seed potato growers by shipping them sampling materials and having growers submit photo data and preserve the samples, from which aphid abundance could be estimated weekly. Then, at the end of the sampling period, the samples were brought back to a lab, and aphids were re-counted and identified to the species whenever possible. We will discuss the results of this project, trends in aphid abundance and PVY risk, and how it compares to existing PVY risk forecasts.
Wednesday, January 28
3:30pm-4:00pm
Mackinac-Petoskey
About The Speaker
Dr. Abigail Cohen
Dr. Abigail Cohen is a research associate at Michigan State University in the Vegetable Entomology lab run by Dr. Zsofia Szendrei. She received her Entomology Ph.D in 2021 from Washington State University researching insect pests and an insect-vectored pathogen in potatoes, and how water stress might affect vector movement and pathogen transmission. Her current research focuses on understanding the development and dispersal of potato pests to generate knowledge and tools for sustainable management.
