Considering landscape composition for managing Bemisia whitefly and Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus in melons in Arizona

Ww will present is a description of the whitefly/CYSDV problem in southern Arizona, briefly explain current issues with virus/vector management, and discuss a landscape-based approach taken to simultaneously identify local factors (i.e., time of planting) and regional factors (i.e., landscape composition ~virus and vector crop reservoirs ) linked to abundance of whiteflies and risk of CYSDV incidence in fall melons. We sampled commercial melon fields for WF and CYSDV in 2 growing regions in Yuma County over a 6 year period, and conducted the landscape analysis using data collected in 2011 and 2012.  Based on the analysis, we found that consideration of  local (planting fall melon early in the growing season) and regional factors (eliminating volunteer melons during the summer, and isolating fall melon plantings away from cotton and previously grown spring melons) may significantly reduce the incidence of CYSDV in fall melons fields.