Effects of Insecticides on Behavior of Adult Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) and Transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous

Abstract

The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), is a serious pest of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) that can cause yield loss by direct feeding on crop plants and by vectoring a bacterial pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacer psyllaurous. Current pest management practices rely on the use of insecticides to control the potato psyllid to lower disease incidences and increase yields. Although many studies have focused on the mortality that insecticides can cause on potato psyllid populations, little is known regarding the behavioral responses of the potato psyllid to insecticides or whether insecticides can decrease pathogen transmission. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of insecticides on adult potato psyllid behaviors, the residual effects of insecticides on potato psyllid behaviors over time, and effects of these insecticides on Ca. L. psyllaurous transmission. Insecticides tested included imidacloprid, kaolin particle film, horticultural spray oil, abamectin, and pymetrozine. All insecticides significantly reduced probing durations and increased the amount of time adult psyllids spent off the leaflets, suggesting that these chemicals may be deterrents to feeding as well as repellents. Nonfeeding behaviors such as tasting, resting, and cleaning showed variable relationships with the different insecticide treatments over time. The insecticides imidacloprid and abamectin significantly lowered transmission of Ca. L. psyllaurous compared with untreated controls. The implications of our results for the selection of insecticides useful for an integrated pest management program for potato psyllid control are discussed.

Effects of Liberibacter-Infective Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) Density on Zebra Chip Potato Disease Incidence, Potato Yield, and Tuber Processing Quality

“…Dual monitoring for both the appearance of migrating psyllids and detection of liberibacter-infective psyllids is crucial to ZC management, although it is unlikely to guarantee completely ZC-free potatoes. Chemical control (Goolsby et al 2007, Gharalari et al 2009, Yang et al 2010, Butler et al 2011, Peng et al 2011 would be valuable to reduce the number of infective-psyllids and in lowering the impact of noninfective psyllids that are still capable of causing injury related to psyllid yellows disease (Wallis 1955).…”

Susceptibility of Selected Potato Varieties to Zebra Chip Potato Disease

“…With the recent introduction of the potato psyllid in New Zealand (Gill 2006), ZC is estimated to have caused some 50 million dollars worth of damage to the potato industry in the 2008-2009 growing seasons alone (Liefting et al 2008Teulon et al 2009). Currently, vigorous pest control programs that rely heavily on use of conventional insecticides targeted against the potato psyllid are the only means to manage ZC (Goolsby et al 2007;Berry et al 2009;Gharalari et al 2009;Butler et al 2011). Unfortunately, substantial increases in the quantities of insecticides applied against this pest in some potato growing regions not only have led to higher costs to growers but also to environmental concerns and increased opportunity for the development of resistance by the psyllid.…”

“…Most importantly, pesticides may have limited disease control as they may not kill the potato psyllid fast enough to prevent liberibacter transmission to potato. However, some conventional and biorational pesticides, including plant extracts, mineral oils and kaolin, have shown some substantial deterrence and repellency effects to potato psyllid feeding and oviposition (Gharalari et al 2009;Yang et al 2010;Butler et al 2011;Lacey et al 2011;Peng et al 2011) and could be useful tools in integrated pest management programs to manage ZC and its psyllid vector. Nonetheless, identification and development of host plant resistance to ZC could provide the most effective and sustainable means to manage this potato disease.…”

“…ZC-infected potato plants exhibit a range of aboveground symptoms that resemble those caused by potato purple top and psyllid yellows diseases (Wallis 1955;Munyaneza et al 2007aMunyaneza et al , b, 2008. At present, applications of insecticides targeted against the potato psyllid are the only means to effectively manage ZC (Goolsby et al 2007;Berry et al 2009;Gharalari et al 2009;Butler et al 2011). Identification and development of potato varieties with resistance to or tolerance of ZC are crucial to developing effective and sustainable management strategies for this important potato disease.…”

Effect of sulphur foliar applications on the tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) in a potato crop

“…Products with good TPP repellency, low mammalian risk and low environmental danger are of particular interest (Berry et al 2009). A number of botanical oils and clays have been investigated (Butler et al 2011;Wright et al 2013a,b). Sulphur is another product that may have value for TPP management.…”