Researchers Build Case Against Insect as "Zebra Chip" Culprit

Zebra chip (ZC) is a symptom which can be prominently seen in cut and fried potato chips as unsightly brown zebra stripes. Potato fields in Mexico were the first to be hit by the zebra chip in 1994, and was seen in potatoes planted in the Texas side of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in 2000. Millions of dollars have been lost during an outbreak in 2004 to 2006 in Mexico, Texas and other U.S. states.  

Studies on the possible cause of the symptom conducted by Jim Croslin, a plant pathologist in the Agriculture Research Service's  Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit, Prosser, Wash. and Joseph Munyaneza, an entomologist in the ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory,  Wapato, Wash. show a strong correlation to feeding by the psyllid species Bactericera cockerelli. Genetic fingerprinting was utilized to check the possible involvement of phytoplasma, the causal pathogen of potato purple-top wilt syndrome, however results showed a negative correlation to the zebra chip. Current monitoring and insecticide spraying appears to be effectve in controlling the spread of the zebra chip.

Details of the news release is accessible at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/071026.htm