VIRUS-VECTOR RELATIONSHIPS OF CHICKPEA CHLOROTIC DWARF GEMINIVIRUS AND THE LEAFHOPPER OROSIUS-ORIENTALIS (HEMIPTERA, CICADELLIDAE)

Chickpea chlorotic dwarf geminivirus (CCDV) is one of the viruses asso ciated with chickpea stunt disease. It is transmitted by the leafhoppe r Orosius orientalis. The minimum acquisition access period (AAP(min)) and inoculation access period (IAP(min)) were found to be less than 2 min, while the minimum latency period (LP(min)) was less than 2 h. Th e median AAP, IAP and LP were 8.0 h, 2.3 h and 27.7 h, respectively. N o difference in transmission rates (proportion of leafhoppers able to transmit) was observed between male and female leafhoppers. In serial transmission experiments, transmission was shown to be persistent, and after a 2-day AAP about 80% of the leafhoppers transmitted the virus for most of their life. The virus could be detected in individual leaf hoppers by DAS-ELISA. It did not multiply in the leafhopper, but, inst ead, decreased in concentration during leafhopper feeding on a non-hos t of the virus.