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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #323604
Title: Variation in susceptibility to potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae),among Solanum verrucosum germplasm accessions

Author
item Cooper, William - Rodney
item Bamberg, John

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/29/2016
Publication Date: 8/26/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5430227
Citation: Cooper, W.R., Bamberg, J.B. 2016. Variation in susceptibility to potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae),among Solanum verrucosum germplasm accessions. American Journal of Potato Research. 93:386-391.

Interpretive Summary: The potato psyllid is a major pest of potato in the western United States. This insect is the vector for the pathogen associated with zebra chip disease of potato, which renders potato tubers unmarketable. Zebra chip disease is controlled using insecticides to kill the insect vector, but ongoing research efforts seek to develop new ways of controlling potato psyllid and the zebra chip pathogen. Wild potato germplasm provide genetic sources of desirable traits, including insect resistance, which can be bred into marketable potato cultivars. USDA-ARS researchers in Wapato, WA and in Sturgeon Bay, WI screened populations of a wild potato species, Solanum verrucosum, for resistance to potato psyllid. They discovered two populations that are highly resistant to potato psyllid. These findings will help breeders to develop new cultivars that are resistant to potato psyllid, which would provide a cost-effective control of the potato psyllid and zebra chip pathogen without the use of insecticides.

Technical Abstract: Potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is a key pest of potato and the vector of "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum," the pathogen associated with zebra chip disease. Development of potato cultivars with genetic resistance to potato psyllid would enable cost-effective control of this pest with reduced use of insecticides. To facilitate the development of resistant cultivars, the objective of our study was to screen germplasm accessions of Solanum verrucosum for resistance to potato psyllid. The susceptibility of S. verrucosum germplasm accessions to potato psyllid was highly variable in choice prescreening assays and no-choice performance assays. Compared with the susceptible potato cultivar, 'Russet Burbank', several S. verrucosum populations exhibited strong resistance to potato psyllid. The S. verrucosum accession, PI 195170 was highly resistant to potato psyllid, and is a potential source of genetic resistance for the development of resistant potato cultivars.