Aster yellows phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris) is a multi-host plant pathogen and is transmitted by at least 24 leafhopper species. Pathogen management is complex and requires a thorough understanding of vector dynamics. In the American Midwest, aster yellows is of great concern for vegetable farmers who focus on controlling one vector, Macrosteles quadrilineatus—the aster leafhopper. However, vegetable-associated leafhopper communities can be diverse. To investigate whether additional species are important aster yellows vectors, we surveyed leafhopper communities at commercial celery and carrot farms in Michigan from 2018 to 2019 and conducted real-time PCR to determine infection status. Leafhoppers were collected within crop fields and field edges and identified with DNA barcoding. Overall, we collected 5049 leafhoppers, with the most abundant species being M. quadrilineatus (57%) and Empoasca fabae—the potato leafhopper (23%). Our results revealed the most abundant aster yellows vector in Michigan in both crops is M. quadrilineatus, but we also found that E. fabae may be a potential vector for this pathogen. While several taxa reside in and near these crops, we did not find strong evidence that they contribute to phytoplasma infection. These findings indicate that M. quadrilineatus should be the primary target for controlling this pathogen.

中文翻译：

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确定控制胡萝卜和芹菜中翠黄的叶蝉目标。

紫苑黄质原体（Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris）是一种多宿主植物病原体，由至少24种叶蝉传播。病原体管理很复杂，需要对媒介动力学有透彻的了解。在美国中西部地区，翠菊黄对于注重控制一种媒介Macrosteles quadrilineatus的菜农来说非常重要。—翠菊叶蝉。但是，与蔬菜相关的叶蝉群落可以多种多样。为了调查其他物种是否是重要的翠菊黄色载体，我们调查了2018年至2019年密歇根州商业芹菜和胡萝卜农场的叶蝉群落，并进行了实时PCR测定感染状况。叶蝉收集在作物田间和田间边缘，并用DNA条形码识别。总体而言，我们收集了5049只叶蝉，其中最丰富的物种是四叶分枝杆菌（M. quadrilineatus）（57％）和Empoasca fabae（马铃薯叶蝉）（23％）。我们的研究结果表明，两种农作物中密歇根州最丰富的翠菊黄色载体是四线虫，但我们还发现了Fab。可能是这种病原体的潜在载体。虽然这些农作物中和附近有几种分类单元，但我们没有找到有力的证据表明它们会导致植物原虫感染。这些发现表明四分枝杆菌应该是控制该病原体的主要靶标。