Potato Virus-Vector Aphid Epidemiology in North-Eastern Hills of India.

A baseline survey of the Aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) was carried out in four NE-Hill States during 2008–2011 for seed and commercial potato crop production to determine the abundance of aphids as virus vectors. Based on the findings herein, the aphid-free or low-aphid sites identified were used to extrapolate to regions to identify possible ideal locations for potato seed production at the altitudes between 1,550 and 2,700 m above mean sea level (amsl). The Shillong Peak, Laitkor Mawri, Mawkriah West in Meghalaya; Hilley Seed Potato Farm, Okhrey, Ribdi and Rawangla Seed Potato Farm in Sikkim; Upper Wanghoo and Warjung villages in Arunachal Pradesh; and Upper Ukule Kigwema and Lower Ukule Kigwema villages in Nagaland were identified suitable sites for quality potato seed production based on the aphid build-up trend during all the consecutive years of the study.