Seasonal Occurrence and Abundance of the Potato Psyllid, Bactericera Cockerelli, in South Central Washington

Am. J. Pot Res (2009) 86:513–518 DOI 10.1007/s12230-009-9108-9 Seasonal Occurrence and Abundance of the Potato Psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, in South Central Washington Joseph E. Munyaneza & James M. Crosslin & Jeremy L. Buchman Published online: 14 August 2009 # Potato Association of America 2009 Abstract The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli Sulc, psyllids migrating to Washington has not yet been deter- has recently been identified as a vector of Candidatus mined. Information from this study will help potato growers in Liberibacter solanacearum, the putative causal agent of Washington manage the potato psyllid to better prevent zebra chip potato disease. Zebra chip is causing millions of potential zebra chip outbreaks. dollars in losses to the potato industry in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand. Currently, the Resumen El psílido de la papa, Bactericera cockerelli most effective strategy to manage this potato disease is to Sulc, se ha identificado recientemente como un vector de target the potato psyllid with insecticides. Effective man- Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum, el presunto agente agement of this insect pest requires knowledge of its causal de la enfermedad de la papa Zebra chip. Esta biology, ecology, geographic distribution, and population enfermedad esta causando millones de dólares en pérdidas dynamics. Although it is well documented that the potato en la industria de la papa en Estados Unidos, México, psyllid is common throughout the western United States, Centroamérica y Nueva Zelanda. Actualmente, la estrategia several reports have indicated that this insect pest does not más efectiva para manejar esta enfermedad de la papa es occur in Washington and Oregon. However, this insect has enfocarse al psílido de la papa con insecticidas. El manejo recently been observed and collected in this region. Studies efectivo de este insecto plaga requiere del conocimiento de were conducted from 2005 to 2008 to document and su biología, ecología, distribución geográfica y dinámica determine the seasonal occurrence of the potato psyllid in poblacional. Aún cuando está bien documentado que el this important potato growing region of the United States. psílido de la papa es común a lo largo del oeste de los The potato psyllid was monitored in untreated experi- Estados Unidos, varios reportes indican que este insecto no mental potato plots at Moxee and Prosser in south central se presenta en Washington y Oregon. No obstante, se le ha Washington. Contrary to previous reports, the potato observado y colectado a este insecto en esta región. Se han psyllid was found to occur in Washington and appears to hecho estudios de 2005 a 2008 para documentar y migrate into the region late in the growing season. Upon determinar la ocurrencia estacional del psílido de la papa arrival in south central Washington in late July, this en esta región tan importante de cultivo de papa en los insect readily reproduces in potatoes and appears to have Estados Unidos. El psílido de la papa se ha monitoreado en at least one generation a year. The origin of potato lotes experimentales de papa no tratados en Moxee y Prosser en la parte centro-sur de Washington. Contrario a reportes previos, se ha visto que el psílido de la papa se * : J. E. Munyaneza ( ) J. L. Buchman presenta en Washington y parece migrar al interior de la USDA-ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, región al final del ciclo de cultivo. Al llegar al centro sur de Wapato, WA 98951, USA Washington a finales de julio, el insecto se reproduce e-mail: [email protected] rápidamente en papa y parece tener por lo menos una generación al año. Aun no ha sido determinado el origen de J. M. Crosslin USDA-ARS, Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit, los psílidos de papa que emigran a Washington. La Prosser, WA 99350, USA información de este estudio ayudará a los productores de 514 Am. J. Pot Res (2009) 86:513–518 papa en Washington a manejar el psílido para una mejor Idaho, Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan (Pletsch 1947; prevención de establecimientos potenciales de zebra chip. Wallis 1955). This insect pest is common in western Texas and has also been documented in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Keywords Potato psyllid . Bactericera cockerelli . Potato . South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and as far west as Zebra chip . Candidatus Liberibacter . Population dynamics California and British Columbia (Richards and Blood 1933; Pletsch 1947; Wallis 1955; Abernathy 1991; Ferro and Boiteau 1993; Cranshaw 1994, 2001; Capinera 2001). The potato Introduction psyllid also occurs in Mexico (Pletsch 1947; Wallis 1955; Rubio-Covarrubias et al. 2006). Several reports indicate that Zebra chip, an important and emerging disease of potato, this insect appears to migrate annually with wind and high Solanum tuberosum L., has been documented in commer- temperatures in late spring to northerly regions from its cial potato fields throughout the southwestern United overwintering and breeding areas in western Texas, southern States, Mexico, Central America, and most recently New New Mexico, Arizona, California, and northern Mexico Zealand (Munyaneza et al. 2007a; Liefting et al. 2008). (Pletsch 1947; Wallis 1955;Abernathy1991; Ferro and This disease is causing millions of dollars in losses to the Boiteau 1993; Cranshaw 1994, 2001; Capinera 2001). potato industry in affected areas, often leading to the Despite abundant documentation of its distribution throughout abandonment of entire potato fields (Munyaneza et al. the western United States, several reports indicate that the 2007a, b; 2008). Zebra chip is characterized by symptoms potato psyllid does not occur in the Pacific Northwest, that develop in tubers from infected potato plants and that particularly in the states of Washington and Oregon (Pletsch consist of a striped pattern of necrosis in tubers (Munyaneza 1947; Wallis 1955; Ferro and Boiteau 1993;Cranshaw1994, et al. 2007a, b; 2008). Potato chips and fries processed from 2001). However, this insect has recently been observed and infected tubers are commercially unacceptable. Zebra chip- collected in Washington (Munyaneza et al. 2008;Munyaneza infected potato plants exhibit a range of foliar symptoms that and Crosslin, unpublished data), although no formal report resemble those caused by potato purple top and psyllid on its occurrence in this region has been published. yellows diseases (Wallis 1955;Cranshaw1994;Crosslinet The Pacific Northwest, and the Columbia Basin of al. 2005; Munyaneza et al. 2006, 2007a, b; 2008). The Washington and Oregon in particular, is an important potato disease was first identified in potato fields near Saltillo, growing region of the United States. Although no zebra chip Coahuila, Mexico, in 1994, and it was first documented in has so far been documented in potato fields in the Columbia the United States in 2000 in commercial potato fields near Basin, insect transmission experiments conducted in south Pearsall and lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas (Secor and central Washington under controlled field cage conditions Rivera-Varas 2004). In addition to Texas, zebra chip has early in the growing season indicated that the potato psyllid been documented in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, can induce typical zebra chip symptoms in potato plants and New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California (Munyaneza tubers for potato crops grown in this geographic region et al. 2007a; Crosslin and Bester 2009; Lin et al. 2009). (Munyaneza et al. 2007a; Munyaneza, unpublished data). The causal agent(s) and vectors of zebra chip were Additional transmission studies conducted under controlled unknown. However, recent studies conducted in US, field conditions in Texas showed that potato psyllids Mexico, and New Zealand have shown that zebra chip is collected from Washington readily produced zebra chip associated with a previously undescribed species of the (Munyaneza et al. 2008). These observations suggest that bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter vectored by the potato this insect could potentially cause serious damage to potatoes psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli Sulc (Munyaneza et al. 2007a, with zebra chip in the Columbia Basin, especially if it were b;Hansenetal.2008;Lieftingetal.2008; Munyaneza et al. to migrate into the region early in the season. There is a need 2008;Abadetal.2009;CrosslinandBester2009;Crosslin for information on the population dynamics of this insect and Munyaneza 2009;Lieftingetal.2009a, b; Lin et al. pest in this important potato growing region to better prevent 2009; Munyaneza et al. 2009; Secor et al. 2009). Effective potential zebra chip outbreaks. The objective of the present monitoring and control of the potato psyllid are essential in study was to document and determine the seasonal occur- order to better manage zebra chip in potatoes (Goolsby et al. rence and abundance of the potato psyllid at two sites in 2007; Gharalari et al. 2009; Munyaneza, unpublished data). south central Washington. Thus, increasing the understanding of the distribution, movement, and population dynamics of this insect pest is important to reduce incidence of zebra chip in potatoes. Materials and Methods The potato psyllid is native to North America and occurs mainly in the Rocky Mountain region, from Colorado, New From 2005 to 2008, the potato psyllid was monitored in Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada, north to Utah, Wyoming, experimental potato plots at the USDA-ARS Research Am. J. Pot Res (2009) 86:513–518 515 Farm at Moxee, Yakima County, WA. Additional psyllid compared by converting collected data to number of monitoring was conducted in a potato plot at USDA-ARS psyllids per 100 sweeps or potato leaves on each sampling in Prosser, Benton County, WA, in the 2008 growing date and performing a Chi-Square test (PROC FREQ; SAS season. At both locations, the experimental plots consisted Institute 2003). Repeated measures analysis of variance was of large blocks (ca. 8 rows × 100 m long each) of potatoes performed following transformation of count data using (cv. Atlantic). Atlantic potatoes were selected because log10(x+1) and the level of significance was set at P=0.05.

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