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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #375713
Research Project: Systems Approach for Managing Emerging Insect Pests and Insect-Transmitted Pathogens of Potatoes

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: Susceptibility of Physalis longifolia (Solanales: Solanaceae) to Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) and “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum"

Author
item REYES CORRAL, CESAR - University Of Idaho
item Cooper, William - Rodney
item Horton, David
item KARASEV, ALEXANDER - University Of Idaho

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2020
Publication Date: 9/29/2020
Citation: Reyes Corral, C., Cooper, W.R., Horton, D.R., Karasev, A.V. 2020. Susceptibility of Physalis longifolia (Solanales: Solanaceae) to Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) and “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum". Journal of Economic Entomology. 113(6): 2595-2603. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa210.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa210

Interpretive Summary: Management of the zebra chip pathogen and its vector, potato psyllid, is challenging in part because we do not yet know the non-crop source of infective psyllids arriving in potato fields. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, WA in collaboration with a researcher from the University of Idaho showed that an overlooked native weed called ground cherry is highly susceptible to both potato psyllid and the zebra chip pathogen. Most importantly, the pathogen can overwinter in ground cherry rhizomes, and these overwintered rhizomes produce infected plants the following spring. These studies are the first to show that the zebra chip pathogen is capable of overwintering in association with a perennial host of potato psyllid that may then be a source of the pathogen the following spring for feeding psyllids

Technical Abstract: The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), is a major pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.; Solanales: Solanaceae) as a vector of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum”, the pathogen that causes zebra chip. Management of zebra chip is challenging in part because the non-crop sources of Liberibacter-infected psyllids arriving in potato remain unknown. Adding to this challenge is the occurrence of distinct genetic haplotypes of both potato psyllid and Liberibacter that differ in host range. Longleaf groundcherry (Physalis longifolia Nutt.; Solanaceae) has been substantially overlooked in prior research as a potential non-crop source of Liberibacter-infected B. cockerelli colonizing fields of potato. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of P. longifolia to the three common haplotypes of B. cockerelli (central, western, and northwestern haplotypes), and to two haplotypes of “Ca. L. solanacearum” (Liberibacter A and B haplotypes). Greenhouse bioassays indicated that B. cockerelli of all three haplotypes produced more offspring on P. longifolia than on potato and preferred P. longifolia over potato during settling and egg-laying activities. Greenhouse and field trials showed that P. longifolia was also highly susceptible to Liberibacter. Additionally, we discovered that infected rhizomes survived winter and produced infected plants in late spring that could then be available for psyllid colonization and pathogen acquisition. Results show that P. longifolia is susceptible to both B. cockerelli and “Ca. L. solanacearum” and must be considered as a potentially important source of infective B. cockerelli colonizing potato fields in the western United States.