Final answer:
Plant viruses are primarily spread through horizontal transmission and can sometimes be inherited by plant offspring, known as vertical transmission. Insects can spread these viruses but typically do not pass them to their offspring as a trait. Thus, the statement about plant viruses being passed from generation to generation of an insect vector is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plant viruses can be transmitted between plants through a process known as horizontal transmission, which involves the transfer of viruses by contact, vectors like insects and nematodes, or through wounds in the plants. However, viruses can also be passed from one generation of a plant to the next through vertical transmission, where plant offspring inherit viral diseases from parent plants. This includes transmission via seeds and pollen. Insects, as vectors, can sometimes harbor viruses that may be transmitted to their offspring, continuing the cycle of infection. However, the original statement is somewhat misleading, as it's not the insect vectors themselves that are passing the virus from generation to generation; rather, it's the virus being passed through plant generations which may then be spread by infected insects.Therefore, the answer to the question 'Plant viruses may be passed from generation to generation of an insect vector' is false, because while insects can spread plant viruses, they typically do not pass the viruses to their own offspring as a generational trait.