What pests can be found on potatoes and the best way to deal with them.
In our country, almost every gardener grows potatoes. Of course, everyone wants to get a rich and healthy harvest, but it's not always easy.
To protect potatoes and recognize pests in time, we recommend that you carefully inspect the shoots as soon as the first shoots appear. You should do this regularly, paying attention to the presence of characteristic symptoms, and take appropriate measures at the first suspicion.
Each type of insect causes damage to different parts of the plant. For effective control, first determine the type of pest, and then use the appropriate drugs. This takes some time. It will not be possible to treat everything at once with some universal drug "against all". Each specific pest has its own method of elimination.
Some types of insects live in the soil, they can stay there for several years in the form of larvae without revealing their presence. There are also pests that get on potato bushes during strong winds or excessive moisture. Let's learn more about the most dangerous pests for potatoes and how to control them.
Colorado potato beetle
Everyone knows this striped insect. It is the most widespread and therefore the most dangerous pest of potatoes. The larvae of the beetle are particularly voracious when eating tops, which leads to a significant reduction in potato yields.
Adults destroy not only leaves and stems, but also tubers. They hibernate in the ground, and in the spring, flying from one bush to another, they quickly and massively lay eggs on the shoots as soon as they emerge from the ground. It is during this period that it is important to destroy the main population of beetles. To do this, you need to use an insecticide. We recommend Ampligo at a rate of 0.2 l/ha 20 days before harvest.
Wireworm larva
A yellow worm up to 3 cm long, the larva of the wireworm beetle. It destroys tubers and even the root system of potatoes. It additionally feeds on wheatgrass, so it is better to get rid of this weed in advance.
The most effective way to deal with the intruder is deep plowing and soil cultivation. The chemical method of control is to treat potato seeds with Celest Top and apply Regent to the soil.
Potato moth
The potato moth is a small gray butterfly whose larvae also like to eat all the greens and tubers in potatoes. Ignoring this pest can lead to the loss of the entire crop.
For prevention, deep autumn plowing and treatment of seed material with Celest Top at a rate of 0.5 l/t is suitable. Among chemicals, Zolon is the most effective against moths.
Owlet moth
Adult ash-colored butterflies, active at night, are not dangerous to potatoes, unlike their caterpillars. These green gluttons eat everything that can be eaten. They destroy stems, leaves, and tubers.
The best defense against caterpillars is to destroy weeds. Special pheromone traps are used against the butterflies themselves, which lay eggs. It is also advisable to use insecticides such as Ampligo and other drugs.
