Susceptibility of different cucumber genotypes to the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci

Abstract: Bemisia tabaci is a significant pest worldwide as it infests numerous plants, ranging
from cultivated crops to ornamental and wild species. This whitefly is known for its ability to
transmit both persistent circulative and non-circulative viruses to vegetable plants, which
severely affect crops belonging to the Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae families. Exploiting host
plant resistance mechanisms provides an additional solution for integrated control (IPM) of this pest, as plants’ morphological, chemical and physical traits can influence the pest’s
colonization, feeding, and oviposition. In the frame of research aimed at improving integrated
management strategies against B. tabaci, experimental trials were conducted in Sicily (Italy)
within the activities of the EU Horizon 2020 project “Emerging viral diseases in tomatoes and
cucurbits: implementation of mitigation strategies for durable disease management
(VIRTIGATION)” (https://www.virtigation.eu/). This study considered an evaluation of the
most promising cucumber accessions identified by Stichting Wageningen Research and
maintained at the Centre for Genetic Resources (Wageningen University & Research, The
Netherlands), already laboratory screened by the University of Greenwich (all partners in the
project). Specifically, through no-choice and multiple choice tests carried out under semi-field conditions, this work aimed to validate the performance of the investigated cucumber
genotypes, focusing on the attractiveness, availability for oviposition, and ability to support the development of immature stages of B. tabaci. Our results showed that some of the tested
genotypes are promising in both tests, as they appear to exert lower susceptibility to B. tabaci. However, further investigations are currently in progress to better understand the mechanisms of plant resistance.