Screening of Capsicum spp. accessions for resistance to whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 affecting adult survival and nymphal development

Erin Puspita Rini, Dania Oktihafifah, Miriam F. Strijker, Lize Braat, Awang Maharijaya, Richard G.F. Visser, Lotte Caarls*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) is an important pest in pepper (Capsicum spp.) production, not only because infestations lower the quality of the fruits but also because whiteflies transfer viruses. Therefore, resistant varieties are urgently needed. In this research, we searched for Capsicum accessions resistant to B. tabaci MEAM1. Forty pepper accessions underwent screening through a no-choice clip cage assay, evaluating adult survival and oviposition rate of female adult whiteflies. Accessions with low survival were validated by assessing whitefly population buildup in a whole plant assay. Lastly, whitefly nymphal survival and development were scored for the three most resistant accessions. Accession Zuchtmaterial Nr.1 demonstrated the ability to reduce adult survival and reproduction and halted whitefly development at the egg and first nymphal stage, thus repressing population buildup. Additionally, we observed that glandular trichomes type VI were found in the resistant accessions and exhibited a negative correlation with adult survival, oviposition rate, and the number of all stages of whiteflies. Thus, we conclude that Zuchtmaterial Nr. 1 could serve as a useful source for whitefly resistance, with a possible role of type VI glandular trichomes as a resistance mechanism.

Original languageEnglish
Article number87
JournalEuphytica
Volume221
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 May 2025

Keywords

  • Bemisia tabaci
  • C. chinense
  • Capsicum annuum
  • Glandular trichomes
  • Host plant resistance

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