Alina Pokhrel
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, United States
Nar B. Ranabhat
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Denita Hadziabdic, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Tennessee, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Caroline Placidi De Bortoli
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Sarah L. Boggess, MS
Lab Manager and Sr. Research Associate
University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Dipika Sharma
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN, USA
Oscar Riera-Lizarazu
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, United States
David Byrne
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, United States
Roses (Rosa spp.) hold high economic value with the global trade reaching billions of USD annually, due to their ornamental value, fragrance, and use in landscapes. The United States (US) is the largest importer of roses, however, domestic production remains limited. Therefore, expanding local cultivation could reduce import reliance and boost US-based nursery production. Currently, the US rose industry faces a serious threat from rose rosette disease (RRD), a devastating viral disease caused by rose rosette virus (RRV; Emaravirus rosae), which is transmitted by an eriophyid mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphilus). The interaction among mite populations, rose cultivars, and RRV incidence remains largely unknown. This study investigates mite abundance and RRV infection across 12 rose cultivars, utilizing a randomized complete block design with three replications of each cultivar within five blocks. Mites were extracted from rose buds and counted under a microscope. In addition, young rose leaves were collected to assess virus infection using quantitative PCR. Preliminary data suggests variability in mite populations and virus infection across cultivars. These results highlight the complexity of host-pathogen-vector relationships and indicate potential influences from environment, vector behavior, or cultivar-specific resistance in mite population development. Ongoing evaluations over the next two years will offer further insights into RRV dynamics. This study emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring to better understand these interactions to combat RRD.