Survey of Potato Virus Y Incidence in Punjab, Pakistan and Management of Aphid Vectors for Disease Control

Abstract

Potato virus Y (PVY) is one of the most economically important viral pathogens affecting potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production worldwide, causing significant yield and quality losses. The present study was conducted to determine the incidence of PVY in major potato-growing districts of Punjab, Pakistan, and to evaluate the efficacy of selected insecticides for the management of its principal aphid vector, Myzus persicae. During the 2023 growing season, extensive field surveys were conducted in major potato-producing districts of Punjab, where 182 fields were inspected and 1,431 leaf samples were collected and tested for PVY infection using the Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA). The survey revealed considerable variation in disease incidence among districts, with the highest PVY incidence recorded in Toba Tek Singh (52.77%), followed by Jhang (28.20%), Sialkot (27.83%), Chiniot (18.72%), Gujranwala (14.37%), Okara (12.72%), and Sahiwal (6.81%). In the subsequent 2024 season, a field experiment was conducted under a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications to evaluate ten insecticidal treatments against M. persicae. Significant differences among treatments were observed in aphid suppression and disease reduction. Afidopyropen 50 DC provided the highest aphid mortality (>85%), followed by Flonicamid 50 WG (>82.5%), Sulfoxaflor 50 WG (>81.0%), and Spirotetramat 150 OD (>80.5%), whereas Thiamethoxam exhibited the lowest efficacy (>62.5%). Highly effective treatments also resulted in reduced Percent Disease Index (PDI) and lower PVY incidence, indicating that rapid disruption of aphid feeding effectively limits non-persistent virus transmission. Analysis of variance confirmed significant treatment effects (P ≤ 0.05) for aphid population, disease incidence, and PDI. The findings demonstrate that integrating selective insecticides with regular vector monitoring and the use of certified virus-free seed can substantially reduce PVY spread and improve sustainable potato production under the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab, Pakistan.