1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
The objective of this cooperative research project is to transfer pest management technology from ARS to Texas and Kansas Cooperative Extension Entomologists and potato growers as to how to monitor for and manage the potato psyllid the vector of the newly discover potato disease, zebra chip, Liberibacter psyllaurous candidatus.

1b.Approach (from AD-416)
The overall goal of this project is to transfer the technology for monitoring and integrated pest management of the potato psyllid to minimize the incidence of zebra chip in chipping potatoes. Cooperating extension entomologists in the major potato growing areas of the southwestern U.S. will receive training as to how to conduct weekly sampling of selected potato fields to monitor for the presence of adult and immature potato psyllids. Extension entomologist will provide weekly field samples to ARS and contribute to a weekly pest management report.

3.Progress Report

An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program to detect and manage the potato psyllid and reduce the incidence of zebra chip disorder (ZC) in chipping potatoes was developed. This strategy had been improved during four field seasons in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas and had worked well to keep ZC levels below economic levels. The IPM tech transfer program was expanded in 2009 in the LRGV and the other potato-growing areas in Kansas and included molecular diagnostics of the adult psyllids to determine the percentage that were infected with the putative pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter psyllarous. A collaborative program was set up with K-State Extension Service to transfer the IPM technology to the growers and to assess the infection levels of the psyllids in the different growing areas. During the 2008-2010 seasons, cooperating growers, potato processors, and consulting entomologists received weekly reports of potato psyllid egg, nymph, and dult densities, and percentage of adults infected with Liberibacter from selected commercial fields. This early detection and IPM program has dramatically reduced the commercial losses from ZC in chipping and fresh potatoes. Both fresh market and chipping potatoes are showing low levels of zebra chip. The ADODR is in contact with the cooperator via weekly reports.