Zebra Chip (Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum)

Zebra chip disease of potatoes is a serious problem in the Americas and New Zealand. Infected potatoes have a characteristic streaking pattern which becomes more distinct when fried – hence the name ‘zebra chip’. The bacterium which causes it – Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum – can infect a wide range of important crop plants including potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and celery. The disease is spread between plants by sap-feeding insects called psyllids.

Zebra chip disease was first reported in Europe in 2016 and there are concerns that it could spread in the UK. It is currently subject to legislation, quarantine and statutory control in the UK. In fact, both the bacterium and psyllids are already present here, but not currently causing major problems – probably due to environmental factors. Researchers on our CALIBER project are trying to understand this better so we can be prepared for the future.

Find out more about Zebra chip via these resources:

• DEFRA guidance on identifying and reporting zebra chip disease
• ‘A Tale of Striped Potatoes’ a history of zebra chip from APS
• An overview of the science of zebra chip disease published in Frontiers in Microbiology
• A factsheet about zebra chip disease from CABI

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