Thesis
Vector efficiency of the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc), in zebra chip disease epidemiology: the effects of life stage, inoculation access period and vector density
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2011
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100392
Abstract
The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc), is an economic pest in potatoes in the western United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America and New Zealand. The psyllid has historically been linked to a condition known as psyllid yellows but has more recently been associated with zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes. Zebra chip is an emerging disease that has affected potato growers within the psyllid's range. The disease causes substantial yield loss and decline in potato processing quality due to a dark, striped defect in affected tubers. As a new disease, little is known about the psyllids' vector efficiency and its role in the epidemiology of this disease. Using a series of controlled field and laboratory cage studies, different aspects of the psyllids' biology and the effects on their inoculation capabilities were examined: life stage and inoculation access period. In addition, it was determined if vector density influences inoculation capabilities. In field portion of the studies, multiple plants grown under natural conditions were used to estimate disease incidence and to assess yield loss and reduction in tuber quality due to the disease. Single plant inoculations were used under laboratory conditions to confirm the observations seen in the field studies. Results of these studies showed that potato psyllid nymphs were less efficient than adults at inoculating potato plants with the pathogen causing zebra chip and that plants infected by nymphs showed less severe symptoms in raw tubers than those infected by adults. For adult psyllids, disease symptoms and yield loss varied little between long and short access periods. Adult psyllids required very little time on plants to cause ZC, one to four hours for twenty psyllids and less than six hours for a single psyllid. The studies on vector density demonstrated that a single psyllid was capable of successful inoculation of potato and that increases in vector density above one psyllid per plant did not noticeably affect the severity and yield loss due to the disease. This information can be used to begin formulating pest management strategies for economically viable control of the psyllid, and in turn, the disease associated with it.
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Details
- Title
- Vector efficiency of the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc), in zebra chip disease epidemiology
- Creators
- Jeremy Lynn Buchman
- Contributors
- Keith S Pike (Chair) - Washington State University, Entomology, Department ofJoseph E Munyaneza (Committee Member)David R Horton (Committee Member)Hanu Pappu (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Plant Pathology, Department of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Entomology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525109301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis