Effects on Myzus persicae (Sulz.) and transmission of beet yellows virus of applying certain trace elements to sugar beet

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Applications of lithium chloride (LiCl), zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) or nickel sulphate (NiSO4) to the roots of sugar‐beet plants in the glasshouse encouraged settling on the leaves of adult apterae from a clone of Myzus persicae (Sulz.); conversely, treatment with boric acid (H2B2O7) inhibited aphid settling. Larviposition of M. persicae was increased by NiSO4 and tin chloride (SnCl2). Viruliferous M. persicae transmitted beet yellows virus (BYV) more efficiently to plants treated with LiCl or H2B2O7 than to those treated with copper sulphate (CuSO4), ZnSO4 or SnCl2. The sulphate and chloride anions of the applied chemicals appeared to have little effect on M. persicae and virus transmission.It is suggested that applications of trace elements to sugar beet affected M. persicae and virus transmission by changing the concentrations of trace elements in the aphids' diet and by altering the metabolism of the leaf tissues in the host plant.