Towards Unraveling Virus-Vector Interactions in Corn and Soybean to Advance Plant Disease Management

Monday, August 4, 2025

12:30 PM - 1:10 PM HST

Location: Room 312

Speaker(s)

AO

Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde

Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, IA, USA

Author(s)

CC

Carter Casey

Undergraduate Research Assistant
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
HK

Hia Kalita

Graduate Research Assistant
Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Interdepartmental Graduate Program & Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
JO

Juliana Osse de Souza

Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
AL

Adriana Larrea-Sarmiento

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
EH

Erin Hodgson

Professor
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
DM

Daren S. Mueller, n/a

Professor
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States
Ar

Alison E. robertson, Dr

Professor
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States

Abstract Text: Most plant viruses and some pathogens rely on insect vectors for their transmission, yet the mechanisms underlying pathogen-insect interactions remain poorly understood. Additionally, insect vectors may harbor diverse virus populations that influence their biology and vector competence, thereby impacting the transmission of plant pathogens. The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis, is a pest recently reported in the Corn Belt; while the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, has been established in the United States for over twenty years. Both species threaten corn and soybean, respectively, by causing direct damage and transmitting plant pathogens. In 2024, we collected these pests and plant samples presenting virus-like symptoms from corn and soybean fields in Iowa with the aim of determining plant and insect virus prevalence. We characterized virus populations in plant and insect samples using RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, and PCR-based assays. We detected barley yellow dwarf virus, and corn stunt-associated pathogens in corn, while soybeans harbored a mixture of viruses with diverse prevalence. New insect-specific viruses were found in the leafhopper and aphid samples, and ongoing studies are being conducted to evaluate how their presence in these insect vectors may influence plant pathogen transmission. Moreover, we are evaluating some of these insect-specific virus components as new vector control options and, therefore, aiming to provide an innovative integrated pest management alternative for vector-borne pathosystems in corn and soybean.