A new potato alert was posted to PNWPestAlert.net.
Erik Wenninger, Nora Olsen, Phil Nolte, Mike Thornton and Alex Karasev, in cooperation with Jeff Miller and Andy Jensen, are monitoring potato fields in Idaho for potato psyllids and Liberibacter, the bacterium that causes zebra chip (ZC).
We found four adult potato psyllids on sticky cards that were collected on June 26 from a grower's field in Twin Falls County. These were collected from the same site from which we collected two adult psyllids the previous week. We also found four adult potato psyllids on sticky cards that were collected on June 27 on bulk potatoes next to our insecticide trials at the Kimberly R&E Center. The samples are being shipped to campus to be tested for presence of Liberibacter. No potato psyllids were found this week at any of the other fields being monitored by our group in Idaho.
Numbers of potato psyllids found are still low, and so far no immature potato psyllids have been found in leaf samples at any sites. We suggest that scouting programs in Idaho be intensified, and that IPM programs be ready. Samples can be taken to the Kimberly R&E Center for confirmation of potato psyllid identification. Refer to the following sites for guidance on scouting and IPM programs for potato psyllids:
http://potatoes.com/IPMStuff/PDFs/Idaho%20recommendations%20%202012%20final.pdf
http://www.potatoes.com/pdfs/PotatoPsyllid.pdf
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/30058/pnw633.pdf
UPDATE:
We found four more adult potato psyllids on sticky cards this week on the same grower's field that had two psyllids last week. The grower had sprayed Movento on Saturday, so hopefully he will be protected. No larvae yet on his field or any others that we've sampled. We also found four adults on sticky cards in a sentinel plot next to our insecticide trial at the Kimberly R&E Center. Our first foliar sprays went on yesterday. Hopefully we'll learn something about management of these beasts in Idaho. I'll let you know if these samples test positive for Lso.