Psyllid
This pest is the greatest threat to face this country's potato industry and has required a powerful response from Potatoes New Zealand.
Since psyllid was first discovered in New Zealand in 2006, Potatoes New Zealand has invested more than half a million dollars in fighting this pest. We have established a comprehensive research programme, facilitated a psyllid working group and employed a coordinator to oversee our activities. We have run, and continue to run, a series of psyllid workshops, and have brought in overseas experts to share their knowledge with our growers. We are also working closely with other industry partners, such as MAF's Sustainable Farming Fund and FRST, to raise much-needed money for research; and with Plant & Food Research to carry out research required to develop tools and methods to best monitor and control this tiny but destructive pest.
Unfortunately, psyllid is very difficult to control. Since they were first found in the Auckland and Waikato regions, they have spread quickly to other areas of the country, and many potato crops have been severely affected. The pests not only affect the growth of the plants and tubers, they also cause the diseases Liberibacter and Phytoplasma in the plant. Liberibacter causes zebra chip in potato tubers, as well as yellowing of leaves, and it can kill the plant, while Phytoplasma is a bacteria-like organism associated with other disease symptoms on potatoes, such as hair-sprouting of tubers, and the yellowing and rolling of leaves and premature wilting.
