The full effect of tomato and potato psyllids, a plant disease that damages potato and tomato plants is beginning to be understood and the news is not good.
Potato growers around Hawke’s Bay abandoned hectares of failed crops this year, not bothering to harvest the sub-standard produce after they were decimated by the destructive pest — the tomato and potato psyllid.
The pest also attacks tomatoes, tamarillos and capsicums.
One grower wondering where to go from here is Doug Whitfield, who said in the 50 years he had commercially grown potatoes, the 2008-09 season was easily the worst.
He said this season he lost half his crop to the psyllid — ploughing in 16-hectares worth of potatoes.
Where there would normally be abundant large, healthy potatoes, there were now fewer stunted, small and mis-formed examples, some growing on land he said was as good as any he had farmed.
He said other growers in the region would be losing considerably more.
“We first saw it in the crop in 2006-07, but the worst-hit crop was the 2008-planted and 2009-harvested season,” he said.
“It would be the worst pest or disease I’ve had in a potato crop in the 50 years I’ve been growing.
Potato growers around Hawke’s Bay abandoned hectares of failed crops this year, not bothering to harvest the sub-standard produce after they were decimated by the destructive pest — the tomato and potato psyllid.
The pest also attacks tomatoes, tamarillos and capsicums.
One grower wondering where to go from here is Doug Whitfield, who said in the 50 years he had commercially grown potatoes, the 2008-09 season was easily the worst.
He said this season he lost half his crop to the psyllid — ploughing in 16-hectares worth of potatoes.
Where there would normally be abundant large, healthy potatoes, there were now fewer stunted, small and mis-formed examples, some growing on land he said was as good as any he had farmed.
He said other growers in the region would be losing considerably more.
“We first saw it in the crop in 2006-07, but the worst-hit crop was the 2008-planted and 2009-harvested season,” he said.
“It would be the worst pest or disease I’ve had in a potato crop in the 50 years I’ve been growing.
