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Zebra chip bacterium found in ID

July 4, 2012, Twin Falls, ID – It would appear the bacterium that causes the potato disease zebra chip is slowly heading north.

The bacterium – which Idaho agriculture officials say could devastate state’s potato crop – was recently found in a Twin Falls County farmer’s field.

Tests at the University of Idaho showed positive results for Liberibacter, the bacterium that causes zebra chip, said Erik Wenninger, assistant professor of entomology for the University of Idaho’s Kimberly Research and Extension Center.

The substance was found on adult psyllids adhering to a sticky card put in a commercial plot as part of testing for potential diseases in 14 south-central Idaho fields. Wenninger posted a warning to farmers and others July 2 on the Pacific Northwest Pest Alert Network. READ MORE