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Infections of a single host by multiple pathogens are common in nature but relatively poorly studied compared to single infections. In this talk I will discuss the causes and consequences of coinfection by insect-transmitted plant viruses in two systems: 1) the multiple species of barley/cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDVs) infecting wild grasses across Western US grasslands; and 2) the multiple strains of potato virus Y infecting potatoes and other solanaceous plants on farms in upstate New York. Our research addresses the drivers of virus emergence and spread at multiple scales, including the landscape, the field, and within individual host plants. Landscape composition and structure, vector community composition, transmission dynamics, and within-host processes all influence the epidemiology of these aphid-transmitted viruses.