Psyllid Yellows and Zebra Chip

Control of psyllid yellows is achieved through control of psyllid insects.

Avoid bringing infected plants into your garden. During winter remove all plants that could be host to infection. Inspect susceptible plants regularly for signs of infection or infestation with psyllids. Remove and dispose of any plants that show symptoms of infection.

Use Organic Insect Control with Pyrethrum to crop plants, paying particular attention to the underside of leaves where adults and nymphs live. Follow product instructions for use on crops carefully.

Inspect plants regularly for the presence of psyllids, so that treatments can be applied while numbers are low.

• Remove, bag and disposes of as much leaf litter in the area as possible as this may harbour eggs.
• Apply Organic Insect Control to plants as protection or on finding any psyllids. Concentrate on the underside of the leaves, where most of the psyllid adults and nymphs live.
• More than one application may be required (3-4 days apart) to kill all the nymphs.
• Best applied late in the day.
• It is important to control psyllids on young plants as they are most vulnerable to psyllid yellows. Older plants are still vulnerable to infection by the bacterium, but any fruit that is set will still be harvestable.

• The scientific name of the tomato/potato psyllid is - Bactericera cockerelli
• The name of the bacterium that the psyllids spread and causes disease in tomatoes, potatoes, capsicums and tamarillos is Liberibacter solanacearum