Tomato potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli Sulc) impacts on taewa seed quality and performance preliminary results

Abstract

Taewa (Solanum tuberosum L Maori potatoes) are susceptible to tomato potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli Sulc TPP) infestation and to infection with the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) vectored by the psyllid Current growing systems used by taewa growers leave the crop highly vulnerable to TPP and Lso infection leading to potential reductions in seed tuber quality and harvestable yield Seed tubers for two virusfree taewa lines (Moemoe and Tutaekuri) grown under high (calendar spraying of insecticides) and low (reduced insecticide spray regime) levels of TPP protection in a zebra chip small plot trial during 2011/12 in Pukekohe were stored after harvest Tubers were later sorted into two seed size categories small (<40 g) and large (4074 g) and planted in the field in the 2012/13 growing season A subsample of tubers from each treatment and seed size combination were submitted for Lso testing The results indicated that the larger seed tuber size and the higher level of TPP protection increased yield for Moemoe Trends for Tutaekuri were less clear