Tettigoniella viridis and Clovia conifer are potential insect vectors of sugarcane white leaf phytoplasma

Sugarcane white leaf (SCWL) is a phytoplasma disease that has spread rapidly in Yunnan province, China, in recent years. It is now the main barrier to the development of the sugarcane industry in this region. Herein, we explored the insect vector and their dominant population of SCWL phytoplasma at Gengma in Lincang city in 2019, where the occurrence of SCWL is the most serious in Yunnan Province. Two leafhopper species, Tettigoniella viridis (Linnaeus) and Clovia conifer Walker, were tested positive for SCWL phytoplasma by using nested PCR, indicating that they are maybe the potential insect vectors of SCWL phytoplasma. Additionally, nymphs of T. viridis were tested strongly positive, and they were preliminarily identified as the dominant population. Since the main transmission medias of SCWL phytoplasma appears to be SCWL-infected seedcane and the leafhopper insect vectors, establishing a disease-free and healthy seedcane breeding base and eliminating the leafhopper insect vectors in sugarcane planting areas may prevent or control the spread of SCWL and reduce the natural transmission rate in the field. The results expand our theoretical and technical knowledge of sugarcane phytoplasma disease and provide a reference for formulating comprehensive control of SCWL.