Vol. 11, Special Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Shahid Mushtaq, Baby Summuna, FA Bhat, Vikas Gupta, Addafar Gulzar, Aabid Hussain Sheikh and Syed Muzamil

Abstract:
Vector-borne bacterial diseases are serious threat to several crops including apple, citrus, grapes, olive, potato, sesame, brinjal, sugarcane etc. for causing huge economical losses particularly in tropical and sub-tropical regions (Gonella et al., 2019). However, this pathogen is weak as its dispersal largely depends on other agents like insects, animals, planting material etc. Hemipterans play a major role in its dispersal and as a result of their extensive host range, fast reproduction, and capacity to spread a variety of plant diseases, they are more damaging pests of crops (Perilla-Henao and Casteel, 2016). The plant vascular system is enriched with nutrients that serve as a good source of food for these insects and many bacterial pathogens. With their piercing and sucking mouth parts, the hemipterans acquire pathogens by feeding on plant sap and subsequently transmit it to the healthy plant and spreading the disease. Research on vector-borne bacterial diseases is challenging because of fastidious nature of pathogen (Huang et al., 2020). Methods like bioinformatics, genome sequencing, transcriptomics and genetic manipulation has improved our compression, knowledge and understanding towards pathogen-plant-vector relationship to a great extent (Perilla-Henao and Casteel, 2016) ^[65]. As a result of this information, we can devise novel disease control measures. Endosymbionts and commensals, for example, have a role in transmission by changing acquisition, improving insect fitness, fecundity, and immunity, and some have even exhibited antagonistic effects against pathogens (Gonella et al., 2019). Multiple pathogens compete for space and food in a single insect body, with only one pathogen effectively transmitting. By lowering vector competence, measures such as exploiting insect microbiome, para transgenesis, and cytoplasmic incompatibility can assist to reduce disease dissemination (Trivedi et al., 2016).