Australia: Pest insect found in Victorian tomatoes on the Bellarine Peninsula

Tomato growers have been encouraged to monitor their crops following the detection of tomato potato psyllid in a glasshouse at a tomato production facility on the Bellarine Peninsula. TPP is a small insect that feeds on hosts such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, chillies and capsicums. The detection marks the first detection outside of Western Australia, where it was initially detected in 2017. A glasshouse tomato producer reported an insect infestation to Agriculture Victoria and surveillance has since found the insect at further locations within 1.5 kilometres of the glasshouse. When it is linked with the Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum bacterium, TPP can spread a serious plant disease known as 'zebra chip' in potatoes. Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum has not been detected. Victoria's Chief Plant Health Officer Rosa Crnov said the early detection of TPP would enable Victorian producers and gardeners to step up their vigilant monitoring and ensure crops were ...