Effects Of Weather And Seasonality On Whitefly Dynamics and Microbiomes In Tomato Crops: A Metagenomic Perspective

Tomato cultivation occurs under specific climatic, topographical, and agricultural conditions that foster substantial populations of whiteflies. The relative isolation of the whitefly gut, combined with the intensive farming of certain plant species, plays a critical role in shaping bacterial colonization patterns. We employed next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA from the gut microbiome to assess the relative abundance of various bacterial endosymbionts in Bemisia tabaci across diverse geographic regions. The results of this study are anticipated to provide in-depth insights into the dynamics of whitefly populations, enhancing our understanding of the entire bacterial community, including primary and secondary endosymbionts and their variations in relation to geographic location, seasonal fluctuations, environmental conditions, and agricultural practices.