Organic NZ – September 2019

Promote • Educate
26 September/October 2019

Gardening

ORGANIC PRIMARY PRODUCTION

@ SIT2LRN

0800 4 0 FEES

Call today or email [email protected] http://www.sit.ac.nz

DISTANCE LEARNING

ª New Zealand Certificate in Organic Primary

Production (Level 3)

ENROL NOW FOR 2019

,

n April 2006, crop consultant Chris

Charrington was monitoring field

tomatoes near Gisborne with a colleague,

when they noticed something unusual

about the crop. On closer inspection, Chris

found insects he’d not seen before living

under the leaves and attacking the plants.

There are many species of psyllid

(pronounced sillid) in New Zealand, all in

Duncan SmithSXWVWKH

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W ho’s EATING YOUR

tomatoes

and potatoes?

the same family as aphids, cicadas, shield

bugs and leafhoppers. However, this one

was new and identified as the tomato-

potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli), or

TPP.

Stowaway from the Americas

These psyllids originated in Central

and North America where they bred on

Photo: iStock/karandaev