Aphids are the most important vectors of potato viruses during the crop?s
growing season. The most widespread and damaging viruses, the potato virus Y
and potato leaf roll virus, are transmitted by aphids in non-persistent and
persistent manner, respectively. The two viruses cause the greatest concern
of potato producers and a great constraint to seed potato production in
Serbia, the region and across the world. Potato virus Y is particularly
harmful, given its distribution and spreading rate. Seed potato production
systems under well-managed conditions involve a series of virus control
measures, including the monitoring of outbreaks of winged aphids, their
abundance and species composition, in order to forecast virosis, i.e.
potential plant and tuber infection periods. Monitoring the aphid vectors of
potato viruses enables determination of optimum dates for haulm destruction
when higher than normal numbers of winged aphids as vectors of economically
harmful diseases have been observed. Haulm destruction in a potato crop
reduces the risk of plant infection and virus translocation from the
aboveground parts to tubers, thus keeping the proportion of infected tubers
within tolerance limits allowed for certain categories of seed potatoes. This
practice has positive effects if used in combination with other viral disease
control measures; otherwise, it becomes ineffective. This paper provides an
integral analysis of the effects and role of monitoring outbreaks of aphids,
their abundance and species composition in timing haulm growth termination to
prevent plant infection, virus translocation and tuber infestation in potato
crops in Serbia and the wider region.