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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #238130
Title: Impact of Zebra Chip Disease on the Mineral Content of Potato Tubers

Author
item Miles, Godfrey
item Buchman, Jeremy
item Munyaneza, Joseph - Joe

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2009
Publication Date: 8/16/2009
Citation: Miles, G.P., Buchman, J.L., Munyaneza, J.E. 2009. Impact of Zebra Chip Disease on the Mineral Content of Potato Tubers. American Journal of Potato Research. 86:481-489.

Interpretive Summary: Zebra chip (ZC) is an emerging and damaging potato disease that is causing millions of dollars in losses to the potato industry in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand. ZC tuber symptoms are similar to those of potato diseases which exhibit perturbations in tuber mineral composition resulting in internal defect disorders. Researchers at USDA-ARS Wapato conducted studies to determine the effect of ZC disease on the mineral content of potato tubers. Concentrations of various minerals were analyzed in ‘Atlantic’ potatoes from ZC-infected and free plants. Results showed that there were significant differences in mineral content between ZC-infected and ZC-free tubers. Information from this research will lead to a better understanding of this new and destructive potato disease.

Technical Abstract: Zebra chip (ZC) is an emerging and damaging disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) that has been documented in potato fields throughout the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and most recently New Zealand. The bacterium “Candidatus Liberibacter” has been putatively identified as the causal agent of this disease and the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockelli (Sulc), as the insect vector. Tuber symptoms of ZC-infected plants include collapsed stolons, enlarged lenticels, vascular tissue browning, medullary ray discoloration, and necrotic flecking. ZC tuber symptoms are similar to those of potato diseases which exhibit perturbations in tuber mineral composition resulting in internal necrotic disorders. To determine the effect of ZC disease on the mineral content of potato tubers, concentrations of P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Zn, and B were analyzed in ‘Atlantic’ potatoes from ZC-infected and free plants, for both tuber flesh and peel tissues. The potatoes were grown at two different and distant locations under controlled cage conditions. Results showed that flesh tissue from ZC-infected tubers had significantly higher concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, and B, whereas, concentrations in peel tissue from ZC-infected tubers were significantly higher in P, Na, and Zn, but lower in Mg, Cu, and B, than ZC-free tubers.