The Study of Insct Transmission of Plant Viruses at Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

There are more than 300 different kinds of plant viruses known today. Many cause extensive damage to crop plants. In fact in some regions of the world certain viruses are limiting factors to the growing of certain economic crops. In Thailand viruses are major pests of important crops such as tobacco, rice, sugar cane, cucurbits, and cabbage. The vast majority of the known plant viruses are transmitted by means of insects. Thus a control program for virus diseases would involve the study of the relationship between the plant viruses and the insect vectors. A project (No. 9) has been initiated under the auspices of the Kasetsart/Hawaii University Contract, USOM Thailand, to support research in this particular field of study which has not been undertaken previously in Thailand.