Determining the threat of Pierce's disease to Virginia vineyards

Pierce's disease (PD) is a vascular disease of grapevines caused by <i>Xylella fastidiosa</i> (Wells et al.) (<i>Xf</i>) which is transmitted by xylophagous insect vectors. PD infection in Virginia vineyards was thought to be isolated to southeastern portions of the state as there have been no reports of vine loss in western Virginia and cold winter temperatures experienced there limit the effects of the bacterium from year to year. Upward trends in winter temperatures have raised PD concern in the mid-Atlantic. My risk assessment study found PD symptomatic vines beyond the modeled boundary for infection, confirmed <i>Xf</i>-positive with DAS-ELISA. Yellow sticky traps were used to survey Virginia vineyards throughout the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons to identify sharpshooter (Cicadellinae) species in six growing regions. <i>Graphocephala versuta </i>(Say) and <i>Oncometopia orbona</i> (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) were trapped in the greatest abundance and were both present in every region surveyed. This study uses geographical representation of climatological data to estimate risk for Pierce's disease.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Life Sciences

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Department dc:contributor.department

Entomology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Wallingford, Anna Kate

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Pfeiffer, Douglas G.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Wolf, Tony K.
• Kuhar, Thomas P.
• Williams, Jerry Michael

• Pierce's disease
• Xylella fastidiosa
• sharpshooters
• Cicadellidae

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-07232008-094859

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34123