Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research
Project Number: 2092-21220-003-028-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2022
End Date: Jun 30, 2025
Objective:
Monitor insect pests in commercial potato fields throughout the Columbia Basin of Washington targeting aphids, beet leafhoppers, potato tuberworm, and potato psyllids. Determine if captured potato psyllids are carrying the bacterium that causes zebra chip disease.
Approach:
Potato Psyllid Trapping – Potato psyllids will be monitored using yellow sticky cards (5.25 x 3.75 inches). The cards will be mounted on lath and placed inside the field, within 5-10 feet of the edge, and will be placed close to the plant canopy. Four cards will be located around the perimeter of each field. The number of potato psyllids per card per week will be recorded. The sticky cards will be set up in May and will be retrieved and replaced weekly until vine kill.
Potato Psyllid and Plant Testing for Candidatus Liberibacter – All potato psyllids collected from sticky cards will be sent to USDA-ARS in Wapato for testing to determine if they are infected with the bacterium (Liberibacter or Lso) that causes zebra chip disease.
