Psyllid plague wreaks havoc in Ecuador

The insect is having a significant impact on potato crops, as well as other solanaceous plants, according to PhD. Carmen Castillo Carrillo, researcher at the National Department of Plant Protection of the “Santa Catalina” Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP) of Ecuador. ꟷ In how many regions of Ecuador has the psyllid plague been detected and since when, Dr. Castillo? ꟷ The presence of Bactericera cockerelli, the potato psyllid, has been reported in all the provinces of the Ecuadorian mountains, including Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Cañar, Azuay and Loja. ꟷ What country do you think you entered from? ꟷ Its origin cannot be determined precisely. The problem of the “purple tip” was initially detected in the border province of Carchi, in the north of the country. When we first observed the potato psyllid in late 2017, it was already widely distributed in Pichincha, Tungurahua and Carchi. Molecular ...