Dispersion of Myzus persicae and transmission of Potato virus Y under elevated CO2 atmosphere

Most phytoviruses use insect vectors to spread and infect the surrounding crop plants. Because atmospheric gas concentrations alter the physiology and metabolism of plants, we hypothesize that the concentration of carbon dioxide affects the spread of viruses, due to modifications in the feeding behavior of the vector. Tobacco plants, Nicotiana tabacum L., and green peach aphids Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were cultivated and raised, respectively, both under ambient (450ppm, termed aCO2) and elevated (800ppm, termed eCO2) concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). For each atmospheric condition, we first evaluated the ability of the Potato Virus Y to spread in a small experimental design, from a central infected tobacco plant to two surrounding circles of healthy plants in presence of aphid vectors for seven days. The number of aphids recovered on each plant and the infection status (i.e. healthy vs infected) of the plants were assessed at the end of the experiment. We also evaluated the ability of aphids to transmit the virus under the two experimental atmospheres, by immediately transferring a single insect from an infected plant to a healthy one. The presence of virus in healthy plants was then determined. We found that aphid dispersal, as well as the associated spread of viruses, did not differ between the two atmospheres. On the other hand, we found that aphids grown under eCO2 were more efficient in transmitting viruses to healthy plants compared to aphids reared under aCO2 conditions. The results of this experiment indicate that: (1) the ability of an aphid vector to spread a phytovirus is not affected by the level of CO2 at short time and spatial scales, but (2) the concentration of CO2 may affect plant defences or the feeding behaviour of herbivorous insects, resulting in more efficient viral transmission from the vector to the host plant.