List of the main pests of potatoes and how to deal with them. The most dangerous diseases and pests of potatoes

A significant decrease in potato yields is due to the damage to the plant by insect pests.

Not only the quantity of the crop, but also its safety and quality depends on the correctly chosen measures aimed at combating them.

Insect description

Everyone who grows potatoes is familiar with this dangerous pest. The beetle, 8–12 mm long, brown-yellow in color with black longitudinal stripes, roughly eats the leaves and stems of potatoes, sometimes leaving only short scraps of the bush. The larvae are especially gluttonous - orange-red, with a black head and black stripes on the sides. During the growing up period, a colony of several dozen "babies" on one bush can reduce the yield by 50%, or even completely destroy the plant.

The most favorable for is the period of budding and flowering, when tubers begin to form. The mass appearance of larvae occurs precisely at this time.

Control measures

  • Three-fold processing of crops with systemic chemicals(Commander, Sonnet, Iskra DE, Mospilan, etc.). The last treatment with pesticides should be carried out no later than 20 days before digging out the tubers.
  • Spraying with preparations of fungal or bacterial origin (Fitoverm, Agrovertin, Boverin, etc.). These funds are especially effective against young larvae. The effect of biological agents is increasing and is maximally manifested on the 5-7th day. Plantation treatment should be carried out as soon as new larvae appear.

Folk remedies in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle, although safe, are not as effective as chemicals. Nevertheless, gardeners also use them to save the harvest:

  1. manual collection of adult beetles and larvae, as well as destruction of eggs;
  2. spraying bushes with strong infusions of basil, mint, tansy, black currant leaves, poplar when the first shoots appear. Such treatments must be carried out a couple more times per season;
  3. joint planting of potatoes with cultures that scare off female beetles: coriander, beans, bush beans;
  4. planting several home-grown shrubs prior to the main planting planting to concentrate large numbers of larvae on older plants. This method will make it easy to collect pests and enter the main bushes without loss in the tuberization stage.

Wireworms are called larvae that have a cylindrical a rigid, segmented body resembling a piece of wire. The larvae live in the soil for 3-4 years, and the development of one generation of the click beetle lasts up to five years.

Wireworms are especially active with a lack of moisture in the soil. They live in the zone of tubers and roots, damage them with numerous passages, thereby reducing the seed and commercial qualities of potatoes. Wireworm infested roots become more susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections.

In the fight against wireworm, the following are important:

  • deep plowing or digging of soil in spring and autumn. Since the larvae, once in the upper layers of the soil, die in winter;
  • weed control;
  • the use of natural baits - pieces of potatoes, beets or carrots, which are laid in the soil between rows at a distance of 10 cm from each other. After a few days, the bait is taken out of the soil and the larvae are destroyed. If necessary, repeat the procedure with a new portion of root crops;
  • application of insecticides such as Hurricane Forte BP, FORS.

Description

Insects are found everywhere, but the most favorable conditions for their development are isolated, shaded and wet areas. Heavy rainfall in early summer can increase the number of these pests.

In winter, scoops lay their eggs behind deciduous sheaths of wild-growing cereals, for example creeping wheatgrass. At the end of April, hatched caterpillars migrate to potato plantings. Within two months, the development of caterpillars occurs, during which they do the main harm to the potato, gnawing holes just above the root collar and making a move inside the stem, going down and invading neighboring plants.

Damaged plants wither and dry out quickly, and at high humidity they rot.

The larvae of the gnawing scoop destroy leaves and stems, making windows in them. They eat out cavities in the tubers, leaving a peel at the edges.

How to deal with a pest

The fight against scoops includes several methods that it is desirable to use in combination:

  • The destruction of weeds on the plantation, the main reserves of populations of the potato scoop.
  • Using pheromone traps to reduce the number of butterflies that can lay eggs for the winter.
  • Exposure to insecticides on the larvae located on cereal weeds and on caterpillars that have transferred to the stalks. For these purposes, you can use Decis, Cymbush and other drugs.

Description

- the moth is dirty gray with dark spots along the posterior edges of the wings. And the harm is caused by the yellowish-pink or gray-green caterpillars of these butterflies. Most often they take root in the leaves, but they do not disdain both stems and tubers.

At the beginning of spring, there are few larvae, they feed on young and juicy seedlings, later move to stems and leaves. A feature of this pest is that it spoils potatoes after harvesting - during the storage period of the vegetable.

Control measures

Successful control of the potato moth will be crowned with success if the following conditions are met:

  1. take tested seed material for planting. The alleged larvae can be destroyed by heating the tubers at a temperature of 40 ° C for several hours;
  2. constantly monitor the planting of potatoes and the conditions for its storage;
  3. when sowing, observe the planting depth of tubers at least 15 cm;
  4. huddle bushes repeatedly;
  5. carry out deep tillage before winter;
  6. actively fight weeds;
  7. before laying potatoes for storage, treat it with a solution of methyl bromide.

For the destruction of butterflies and caterpillars, biochemical insecticides are used: Bitoxibacillin, Entobacterin, Dendrobacillin, Lepidocid. They are used to treat the bushes until the ovaries appear, thereby reducing the fertility of the females and the delay in the development of the moths themselves.

Potato nematode

Description

Dealing with a nematode is not easy. To get rid of these helminths, the following methods are used:

  • before planting potatoes, the soil is treated with urea, after harvesting - with lime;
  • after planting seeds, liquid chicken manure is introduced into the soil, a solution of which is capable of destroying up to 90% of the larvae;
  • for fertilizing the plant, solutions of mullein, chicken droppings, liquid manure are used;
    conduct careful monitoring of tubers before planting;
  • alternate crops on the plantation with the return of potatoes to their original place in 3-4 years;
  • they dig up infected bushes and disinfect them with bleach in a specially designated pit.
  • in case of excessive nematode damage, the soil is treated with Bazudin, which is effective not only against helminths, but also wireworms.

Aphid

Aphids cause great harm to agricultural plantings, including potato lands. Numerous species of these microscopic sucking insects are found everywhere.

Known pests of potatoes are:

  • peach green aphid;
  • large potato aphid;
  • common potato aphid, etc.

Aphids of any species have winged aphids, which ensure the spread and change of the owner, and wingless individuals responsible for mass reproduction. And the species themselves differ from each other in some nuances of morphology. For example, peach aphids overwinter on a primary host (peach), while an ordinary and larger one does not have a primary host, so females have to wait out the cold in greenhouses, on plants (in storage facilities) and plant debris. Aphids develop in warm, sunny, but humid weather conditions (up to 15 generations per year can appear). Insects live in numerous colonies on shoots and the underside of leaves and feed on plant juices.

When potatoes are infected with aphids on the tops, molt skins and abundant honeydew accumulate, on which sooty mushrooms appear over time.

The harmfulness of all types of aphids is the release of toxins by insects that cause morphological changes in leaves and tubers. Damaged leaves curl, dry out, bushes wither, yield decreases.

In addition, sucking insects carry more than 50 dangerous viral diseases of potatoes, which affect the quantity and quality of the crop.

How to deal with aphids

Conclusion

If signs of wilting of the bushes are detected, the cause of the plant ailment should be identified and the necessary means for its rehabilitation should be applied.

Currently offered chemical and biological products a wide spectrum of action, simultaneously destroying many species of insects at different stages of their development. When using chemicals, remember that pests often quickly adapt to the active ingredient of the drug and do not die under its influence.

The most dangerous pests for potatoes are Colorado potato beetles. These are the bugs that eat the leaves of the potato, and without the leaves, the potato itself does not grow. Fastest and effective method- this is chemistry, especially "Prestige". But it is so poisonous that you yourself can be poisoned. So that there would be less chemistry in our life, then we process potatoes with wormwood tinctures, and various herbal infusions that have a strong odor.

In this article, we'll show you how to deal with them.

Potato pests: wireworm

Description

This is a worm. You can often see how fresh potatoes are literally riddled with some kind of back doors. This is the result of the wireworm's activity. His moves are a real attack for the potato! You will not get off with cleaning the tuber. It will be much easier to throw it away! But you can't put all the potatoes in the bin! Therefore, urgent action is needed! Potato pest control is not an easy task, but only for those who do not know how to do it!

Wireworm Fight

Add ash, chalk and lime to the soil frequently. An excellent remedy is dolomite (lime) flour. Lime the soil in this way once every four years and be sure to use ground eggshells well in advance. Spread it around the area regularly throughout the summer. In this case, the wireworm will no longer harm your crop, rest assured.

Potato pests: Medvedka

Description

How to deal with a bear

Potato pests: Colorado potato beetle

Description

Of course, this is the most dangerous pest available. Distributed almost throughout Russia. The beetles themselves hardly damage potatoes. All harm comes from their larvae. So, how to deal with this pest.

Colorado potato beetle control
  1. Use special spray chemicals.
  2. Do not forget about manual collection and destruction of beetles and their larvae.
  3. You can prepare the poison yourself. Pour into a bucket of potato peelings karbofos solution in the ratio of 2 tablespoons of the drug to half a liter of water. Dampen these cleanings. When planting potatoes, place them in the holes (depth - 30 cm). Hungry and overwintered Colorado beetles gather in these holes, absorb the poison and die.
  4. The number of Colorado beetles decreases very well if the tops are pollinated with clean and sifted wood ash in the morning (ratio: 2 tablespoons per 1 sq. M).

Similar articles

  • In early spring, when the bear is already looking for food for itself, and nothing is growing in the garden yet, I feed her with a special "treat". Pieces stale bread I soak in this mixture: add 1 bag or ampoule to 1 liter of water
  • Every year I sow mattiola on a potato plot or around the perimeter of a garden. The smell of its lilac-pink fragrant flowers repels the pest.
  • Caterpillars damage plants and tubers. During the growing season, they are drilled into the leaves (less often - into the stems and tubers) and lay eggs. In storage facilities, eggs are laid on the eyes of the tubers.

- in spring and autumn, dig deeply into the soil in places where organic fertilizers are stored and in greenhouses, while collecting larvae and adults of the bear;

Autumn digging of the soil, which contributes to the ingress of wireworms into its upper layers and their death during the winter.

Thus, over the course of 16 years, the beetle moved in masses over a distance of 3000 e. In France and Germany, the import of potatoes, sacks from under them, etc., was prohibited from America; despite the fact that K. the beetle still made its way to Europe. The beetle has not yet appeared in Russia. In all interested states of Europe, tables were published depicting the various stages of development of the C. beetle with a popular description of its way of life; these tables were distributed everywhere free of charge among the population, so that everyone could recognize the beetle in case of its appearance and immediately inform about it in order to take timely energetic measures for its extermination.

If only one small focus of infection is identified, the affected plants must be dug up and burned. Only such drastic measures can stop the nematode and prevent the death of all plants on the site. The inventory is processed with formalin, the same can be done with the soles of work shoes.

You can cultivate the field no more than twice in one season, otherwise the crop itself may suffer.

Laundry soap mixed with wood ash. Common bar laundry soap dissolves in a bucket of water, two cans of ash are added there. After that, a liter of such a product is diluted with a bucket of water and the plants are sprayed. After 1-2 etching, insects will completely disappear from the potato bushes.

By far, this is the most dangerous pest available. Distributed almost throughout Russia. The beetles themselves hardly damage potatoes. All harm comes from their larvae. So, how to deal with this pest.

Vofatox, 1 packet of any insecticide and 2-3 tsp. vegetable oil. Then I dip the bread into each hole along with the potato tubers. I saved the harvest!

I put 3-4 unsalted capelin on a plastic bag and leave it on a potato plot, lightly sprinkling it with soil. Every morning I check the baits, which regularly collect bugs.

The born caterpillars make moves in them. Various microorganisms penetrate into damaged tissues, causing the development of dry and wet rot.

- review carefully organic fertilizers before adding them to the soil;

Liming of acidic soils is necessary. A neutral or slightly alkaline environment is unfavorable for the wireworm, however, it increases the damage to tubers with common scab. You can reduce the acidity of the soil by introducing wood ash.​

In America, the beetle and its larvae are destroyed by pouring a mixture of Schweinfurt green powder (arsenous copper) with water on potato fields using a special machine. This poisonous powder is, however, also hazardous to workers. If a focus of infection is identified, after harvesting the potato tubers are thoroughly washed from the ground. It is undesirable to sell them or transport them to another place; it is better to leave such potatoes for your own consumption. All tops are burned, and the field must be thoroughly cleaned even of small tubers.

  1. In addition, it is advisable to alternate the plants on the site. The caterpillar of the scoop most often chooses nightshades: eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, and it is better to periodically plant other crops in their place. It is important to carry out complex processing using several methods, only then you can get the result.
  2. Use of calendula. The Colorado potato beetle does not like the smell of calendula, so it is enough to plant it around the field so that the pests do not come close to it. You can also plant several plants between the rows of potatoes in the field.
  3. Colorado potato beetle,

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The most effective potato pest control methods

Lyudmila POMPA, Mariupol

Striped pests do not like spraying 2 times a week with this composition: I dilute 300 g of baking soda and yeast in 10 liters of water.

- Lay cereal grains cooked in salted water, poured with sunflower oil and treated with insecticides into the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. Periodically review the poisoned baits and destroy the centers of the bear;

The use of baits is possible. Before planting potatoes or at any other time, food baits (sliced ​​potatoes, beets, any cake) are placed into the soil to a depth of 5-15 cm. Pieces of hard bait are strung on a fishing line, to the ends of which twigs or sticks are attached. After 3-4 days, fishing lines with baits and wireworms are removed from the soil and destroyed.

Potato disease caused by the potato (golden) nematode Globodera rostochiensis. Quarantine disease, common in all areas of potato growing.

  • It will be impossible to grow nightshade crops on the contaminated territory for a long time. It is recommended to plant legumes or vegetables in this place for at least two to three years, which the nematode does not touch, and only then it will be possible to grow potatoes again. But in this case, it is better to choose varieties that are resistant to the action of the pest.
  • Medvedka is a common but little-studied pest of a rather frightening look. It is sometimes called "mole cricket" because it can move quickly in the ground, while making sounds similar to the singing of a cricket.
  • Wormwood for fighting the Colorado potato beetle. It is necessary to collect about a third of a bucket of wormwood, pour boiling water over it, insist, and after a few days it will be possible to spray the infected areas of the field with infusion.

Use special spray chemicals.

Wireworm

  • To resist the pest, and at the same time to get good harvest potato, has developed for itself the following potato "rules".
  • Also, the Colorado potato beetle does not tolerate the smell of turpentine or fir oil (for spraying - 1 tablespoon / 10 l of water).
  • These insects inflict significant harm in some years, mainly in low, humid areas. The severity of the scoop is high; damaged stems can account for 20-30% of the total. Stems wilt and dry out or break in places damaged by caterpillars.
  • - in the fall, after harvesting, dig holes 40-50 cm deep and put manure (preferably horse manure) in them, and when frost comes, periodically look through the traps, destroying the pest;
  • Also, in the aisles of potatoes, corn, oats, wheat or barley are sown - 4-5 grains per nest at a distance of 50-70 cm or a line. Then the seedlings of these crops are dug up with a lump of soil and wireworms gathered in it. It is recommended to sow lettuce between the rows, the roots of which feed on wireworms. When the lettuce plants begin to wilt, they should be dug up and the larvae gathered around the roots should be collected. You can use shading traps from freshly cut weeds or any other grass under which the pest accumulates.

In Belarus, globoderosis is especially harmful to household plots with permanent potato culture. With severe damage to plants, yield losses can be 85-100%.

There are many resistant varieties now: these include Zhukovsky early, Almaz, Platinum, Sappho, and many others. In the roots of such plants, substances are formed that are resistant to the effects of the larvae: without receiving nutrition, they either die or underdevelop without becoming adults. As a result, it is possible not only to save this crop, but also to prevent the development of potato nematodes in our own and neighboring plots in the future.

For potatoes, it poses a serious danger, since the bear gnaws at the tubers and roots and is capable of completely ruining the crop.

There are other recipes, for example, some gardeners recommend using red pepper to fight. However, not all methods are safe for plants, so care must be taken. The main requirement is that the processing should be comprehensive and regular, only then it will be possible to obtain the desired result.

  • Do not forget about manual collection and destruction of beetles and their larvae.
  • Bear.
  • Cut out weeds, especially wheatgrass.
  • Alena AGEEVA, Penza

Control measures: A complex of preventive and exterminatory measures is used to protect potatoes from in-stem scoops. Of the chemical means of dealing with caterpillars, for example, decis, cymbush can be used.

- destroy nests and horizontal caves in insect habitats, twice loosen the row-spacing in May-June to a depth of 10-20 cm.

Place potatoes after beans or peas.

  • Amazes root system potatoes. External signs of the disease are manifested in the retardation of plant growth and development, thinning of the stem and roots, crushing and deformation of leaves. The root system takes on a fibrous ("bearded") appearance.
  • Every gardener has to constantly deal with pest control: insects and their larvae can destroy 90% of the crop in one year, and if they are not stopped, the work will be in vain.

Medvedka prefers open spaces in which the soil is well warmed up by the sun. To remove the shadow over her burrow, she is able to completely destroy the plants that block the sunlight. It is quite difficult to deal with it, but complex measures allow you to get a good result.

Another common and very dangerous pest is wireworm. It represents the larvae of the click beetle, which literally pierce shoots and tubers. If you do not take action in time, the wireworm will take over the entire field and can destroy up to half of the entire crop.

You can prepare the poison yourself. Pour a solution of karbofos in a bucket with potato peelings in a ratio of 2 tablespoons of the drug to half a liter of water. Dampen these cleanings. When planting potatoes, place them in the holes (depth - 30 cm). Hungry and overwintered Colorado beetles gather in these holes, absorb the poison and die.

In this article, we'll show you how to deal with them.

Lime the soil (scatter lime over the surface or add it to the holes when planting).

To scare off the Colorado potato beetle, you can sprinkle birch and spruce sawdust on the bushes and between the rows of potatoes every two weeks. They interrupt the potato smell (especially during the flowering period).

July 2, 2014

  • The aerial part of the potato is damaged by the caterpillars of the scoop. In the stems, two types of scoops develop: potato, it is marsh, or lilac spring, and ordinary heart-shaped.
  • In order to create unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of click beetles and the accumulation of wireworms, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate (20-30 g / m2) should be introduced into the soil.
  • Sick bushes are found in foci (they are especially easy to detect on a sunny day, as they quickly fade). They are stunted and have fewer stems that become longer and thinner. The root system is poorly developed, secondary roots are formed near the soil surface. The leaves, starting from the lower ones, wilt, turn yellow and fall off, which leads to the premature death of plants. In the case of tuber formation, they are small, few in number (1-3).
  • Now there is a huge selection of chemicals intended for the protective treatment of fields, but they are far from always effective. Simple measures, worked out by generations of gardeners, make it possible to get an excellent result and collect a perfect harvest from minimal cost for protective treatment. It is important to know the vital activity of the pest in order to find the most effective way to control it.
  • There are several main methods of dealing with a bear:

There are two options for dealing with this pest - chemical and agrotechnical.

Potato nematode: signs of damage and control

The number of Colorado beetles decreases very well if the tops are pollinated with clean and sifted wood ash in the morning (ratio: 2 tablespoons per 1 sq. M).

Potato pests: wireworm

Bring in ammonium nitrate, naphthalene for digging.

Borage is not only a good honey plant and culinary seasoning. It perfectly scares off the Colorado potato beetle with its smell, if you plant it next to the potato rows.

Good results in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle are obtained by 3-4 times treatment of bushes per season with Inta-Vir, Tanrek, Decis, Commander, Fastak, Fitoverm (according to the instructions). And Bankol is generally very strong - adult beetles and young animals die immediately after the first spraying.

These insects inflict significant harm in some years, mainly in low, humid areas. The severity of the scoop is high; damaged stems can account for 20-30% of the total.

  • Application of granular insecticides to the soil before plowing or during planting of potatoes, which you can prepare yourself. To do this, 5 kg of granular superphosphate is scattered in a thin layer on a plastic wrap and sprayed with one of the insecticides (actellik -15 ml, decis - 0.4 ml, karate - 1 ml, fastak - 2 ml, fury - 1 ml, etc.), diluted in water-acetone solution (800 ml of water + 200 ml of acetone).
  • With a weak defeat by globoderosis, diseased plants are detected only when digging and examining the roots, on which white, yellow or brown nematode cysts are found. Cysts persist in the soil for 8-10 (and more) years.
  • More information can be found in the video.

Setting traps. The pest can be caught quite by simple means: These are glass jars that are dug into the ground at ground level where insects are most concentrated. Within a day, you can find a solid catch in the bank, and the elimination of even a few pests will reduce the damage caused to crops.

Insecticide treatments are not always effective and can damage the plants themselves and poison the crop if overused. Knowledge of agricultural technology will not allow the larvae to develop, and thus it will be possible to save most of the crop.

Potatoes are the most common garden culture, and today it is difficult to imagine any country cottage area... However, potatoes are loved not only by gardeners, but also by all kinds of pests, so every gardener should know at least the basic list of dangers that await the harvest, and measures to combat them. Potatoes are threatened by insects, in addition, you can encounter various larvae, caterpillars, and fungal diseases. Let's consider the most important serious threats and determine how the fight against potato pests is going on.

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Add to the holes when planting potatoes: ground eggshell; ash (full scoop); onion husks (I used to put two handfuls into the hole, but in windy weather this is inconvenient - dry husks scatter, so now I soak the tubers before planting in an infusion: I put 3-4 handfuls of husks in an enamel bucket, pour water to the top, bring to a boil and I insist under the lid for 2-3 hours); mustard powder(I also add red hot pepper).

Varvara MANKO, Kiev

A poisonous bait works well - in the spring, soak the slices of potato tubers for a day in a solution of urea or Karbofos. Spread the pickled pieces out on a cloudy day or overnight. Hungry beetles pounce on these slices with appetite, not realizing that they are poisoned, and after a while they die. I advise you to repeat this method in the fall immediately after harvest.

Stems wilt and dry out or break in places damaged by caterpillars. A complex of preventive and exterminating measures is used to protect potatoes from in-stem scoops.

The preparation obtained in this way is dried in the shade and scattered in a tape manner over an area of ​​up to 100 m2. The site is immediately plowed up. When planting potatoes under a shovel, 5-7 granules of processed superphosphate are introduced into the hole along with the tuber. Instead of superphosphate, hardwood sawdust can be used. 5 kg of sawdust is also scattered in a thin layer on a plastic wrap and sprayed with a sprayer or watering can with one of the above insecticides.

Potato or Colorado potato beetle

Transmitted with tubers, soil, agricultural implements, containers. Potato stem nematode

Autumn traps. You can dig holes in the area and fill them with manure and straw. Insects will climb into the warmth during the winter, and after a while the pits can be emptied by scattering the contents over the site. The larvae will die from the cold, and it will be much easier to save the harvest next year.

There are several methods:

The Colorado potato beetle is a pest that gardeners constantly face. It is a striped insect about 1 cm long and its larvae are bright red or pink in color.

This is a worm. You can often see how fresh potatoes are literally riddled with some kind of back doors. This is the result of the wireworm's activity. His moves are a real attack for the potato! You will not get off with cleaning the tuber. It will be much easier to throw it away! But you can't put all the potatoes in the bin! Therefore, urgent action is needed! Potato pest control is not an easy task, but only for those who do not know how to do it!

It is advisable to spill the holes when planting with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

TIP

Cyst nematode (Globoderosis)

Elena BOYKOVA, Tver

Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced. The front wings are narrow, pointed, straight, with a span of 40-50 mm. The coloration ranges from yellowish brown to blackish brown and is sometimes darker along the anterior margin. Outside the reniform spot, there is a black wedge-shaped stroke, against which there are two other black strokes extending from the submarginal line.

Watering the soil before planting the tubers with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water), 0.5 liters per hole, or watering plants at the root, 0.5 liters of the same solution per bush. It is necessary to apply the solution only on neutral and alkaline soils.

This is a heat-loving insect that can develop not only in summer, but also in winter when potatoes are stored at temperatures above 10oC. The moth is most widespread in tropical and subtropical climates, but in recent years it has also settled where potatoes are grown twice a year.

A very small, whitish filamentous worm, about 0.7-1.4 mm long. In diseased tubers, they are located on the border of healthy and diseased tissue. The first sign of tuber damage by stem nematode (latent form) is the formation of characteristic very small whitish soft loose spots under the peel.

Processing with decoction of onion peels. Hulls and onion waste are poured with boiling water, after which the solution must be left to infuse. After 7 days it is diluted with water and the area is spilled. In general, other pests do not like such a solution, so it is widely used in agricultural work. It is better to cultivate the soil after the rain, and if there was no rain, the area is first watered.

Potato moth

Late digging of the soil. The larvae hibernate in the soil after harvesting, so they can be successfully dealt with, it is just good to dig up the soil with the first frost at the end of October. In this case, the larvae will be on the surface and will not survive the cold snap.

This is an extremely dangerous pest: one pair of beetles can produce offspring that can destroy more than 4 hectares of plantings, adult insects and larvae literally gnaw the entire vegetative part of plants.

Wireworm Fight

Lay out baits (potatoes and other vegetables to a depth of 5-10 cm), set traps, and collect pests by hand.

: From the Colorado potato beetle I use a decoction of tomato tops: pour 500 g of the plant with 10 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. I cool, filter, restore the volume of liquid to 10 liters, dissolve 40 g of laundry soap in it and spray the potatoes over the leaves.

Having a small plot, I do not have the opportunity to observe crop rotation, and potatoes (early and mid-season varieties) I grow in one place. But, despite this, I still got rid of the Colorado potato beetle.

The hind wings are light gray, with dark veins and a darkened outer margin. Antennae of females are bristle-shaped, in males they are comb-like for 2/3 of the length. The lifespan of adults is 12-33 days. Fertility is 500-900 (maximum up to 2000) eggs. Eggs are laid in 1 or 2-3 on the leaves of plants or soil adjacent to the ground. The duration of egg development is from 3-5 days (in summer) to 2 weeks (in autumn). The egg is oval (0.5-0.6 mm in diameter and 0.4 mm in height), the surface is ribbed, the color is first milky white, then dark purple.

Wireworms

Watering potatoes with a 3-day infusion of celandine - 100 g of chopped plant mass, nettle - 500 g, dandelion - 200 g, coltsfoot - 200 g in 10 liters of water. Watering is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 7 days The pest adapts easily in temperate latitudes. In the field, the moth overwinters as a caterpillar or pupa in plant debris or top layer soil, in storage - at all stages of development.

This is the breeding site for nematodes. Later, in such places, the peel dries up, shrivels and easily falls behind the pulp. The tubers form dark brown spots with a characteristic metallic luster. They gradually increase, the peel under them peels off the pulp and cracks if severely damaged. The largest number of spots is near the umbilical cord.

Fertilizer chicken droppings... This is an effective method, since the bear does not live in fertilized soil. Dissolve 2 kg of droppings in 10 liters of water, the concentration must not be exceeded. After that, you need to dilute the solution in a ratio of 1: 5, and then dry soil is poured on the site. This will permanently solve the problem with bears in a potato field of any size.

Removal of creeping wheatgrass from the soil. Its rhizomes are the wireworm's favorite treat, and if they are absent, the number of larvae will be significantly reduced.

They quickly move from one territory to another, so one infected area will eventually lead to the defeat of the entire suburban area.

Add ash, chalk and lime to the soil frequently. An excellent remedy is dolomite (lime) flour. Lime the soil in this way once every four years and always well before planting the potatoes. You can use crushed eggshells. Spread it around the area regularly throughout the summer. In this case, the wireworm will no longer harm your crop, rest assured.

Sow beans or beans between potato bushes.

Ekaterina DREEVA, Nikolaev region

In the second half of August, I harvest the potatoes and sow the area with rye or oil radish. In late October - early November, I dig the site and make trenches 25 cm deep every 70 cm.

Caterpillars develop within 14-35 days and reach 45-55 mm in size at the last 6th instar. The color of caterpillars is earthy-gray, along the dorsal side there is a lighter reddish stripe, the epidermis is unevenly granulated. The head and thoracic shield are dark brown. Caterpillars pupate in the soil at a shallow depth. The pupal phase lasts 13-25 days. Pupae are dark brown in color. Body length 19-25 mm. Wintering in northern regions occurs at the pupal stage, in the south at the caterpillar and butterfly stage.

Systematic destruction of weeds by mechanical means or by introducing herbicides (glialka - 40-80 ml, glyphogan - 30-40 ml, glyphos - 30-40 ml, zenkor - 15-20 ml. Lapis lazuli - 15-20 ml, roundup - 30-40 ml, racer - 40-60 ml, stomp - 100 ml, super targa - 20-60 ml, titus - 5 g + 20 ml surfactant Trend for 20 liters of water (1000 m2), topogard - 40-60 ml, hurricane-forte - 75-100 ml, super fuselad - 40 ml, fuselad-forte - 40-50, tornado - 30-40 ml per 10 liters of water to kill wheatgrass).

Summer temperatures do not play a special role; short days (12 hours) are more important for it. The number of moth generations, depending on climatic conditions, ranges from two to eight.

Usually, the nematode damages the tissue superficially, along the edges of the tuber, than its damage differs from the defeat of late blight. The middle of the tuber remains healthy. Only in the final stages, when harmful microorganisms are attached to the stem nematodes, the destruction spreads inward, as a result of which the tuber rots.

Medvedki

Mulching the site is simple and efficient way... A layer of mulch prevents the soil from drying out completely, and the soil will constantly remain moist. In order for the bear to disappear for a long time, the layer of mulch should be at least 15-20 cm. Surface loosening in late May or early June. At the same time, wireworm eggs come to the surface, and after exposure to sunlight, they will be unviable. The larvae will not appear on the site and the crop will be saved.

In addition, insects calmly survive the winter, and also know how to hide in the soil from poisons, so a simple etching will not solve the problem.

Potato pests: Medvedka

Sow marigolds and calendula around the perimeter of the potato area, which scare away pests with their smell.

Last season, from the Colorado potato beetle, when planting potatoes, I threw one grain of peas into each hole, two meters later I made a new row - and in the summer there was no pest. I watered the potatoes regularly. The tubers have grown healthy and large.

By this time, I collect from the site all flowers with a strong smell (calendula, marigolds, etc.), stems of beans, beans, nettles, waste after harvesting garlic, onions. I grind everything, mix it, fall asleep in the trenches and sprinkle it with earth.

  • It is widespread, especially in the temperate and subtropical countries of the northern and southern hemisphere, with the exception of the Far North and desert regions of Africa and Central Asia. On the territory of b. The USSR is found south of the St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk - Vologda - Perm - Tobolsk - Tomsk - Irkutsk - Blagoveshchensk line, in the Primorsky Territory, as well as in the very south of Sakhalin, on the Kuril Islands of Kunashir and Shikotan (Velikan et al., 1981, 1982; Kononenko, 2003; Sukhareva, 1999).
  • Medvedka hurts
  • Caterpillars damage plants and tubers. During the growing season, they are drilled into the leaves (less often - into the stems and tubers) and lay eggs. In storage facilities, eggs are laid on the eyes of the tubers. The born caterpillars make moves in them. Various microorganisms penetrate into damaged tissues, causing the development of dry and wet rot.
  • The main source of the pest's spread is tubers, but it can also be soil if the potatoes are grown after potatoes infected with a nematode. During storage in high humidity conditions, the nematode moves from the infected to neighboring healthy tubers.
  • You can fight the bear with the help of other plants. She does not like marigolds, so they can be planted between rows and along the edges of the field. Sometimes they fight her with the help eggshell drenched in oil. The insect eats the bait and dies as the oil closes the airways. Chemical methods of struggle give only a temporary result, therefore folk remedies are often the most effective.

Caterpillars of the scoop

Alternating potatoes and legumes in the field. Such a crop rotation will avoid the appearance of a wireworm: the larvae will not have time to adapt to the new feed, and the potatoes will remain intact. In addition, the soil will be periodically enriched with nitrogen, and this contributes to an increase in yield.

There are several ways to deal with the Colorado potato beetle:

Description of

Dig up the site late autumn, without breaking clods, so that the wintering larvae, once on the surface, die, and sow siderates.

Nadezhda NIKOLAEVA, Engels

In late April - early May, I prepare trenches for planting potatoes. I dig to a depth of 10 cm, put the peel of tangerines, oranges, bananas, as well as onion and garlic peels, ash. Sprinkle with earth, add humus and plant sprouted potatoes (if the soil is dry, I spill trenches the night before).

Wide polyphage. Polycyclic view. In the northern regions of the European part of Russia, in the Baltic States and Western Siberia, it develops in 1 generation; in the central regions of the European part and in the Far East - in 2; in the North Caucasus - in 2-3 generations; up to 3-4 generations can be in Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Kazakhstan (Pospelov, 1989). Migrant. It is a moisture-loving and thermophilic species, and therefore, in the south, the scoop is numerous in areas with high humidity and on irrigated lands, and in the north - on light and better warmed lands.

Underground parts of tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, eggplant and other garden crops, eats the sown vegetable seeds. He especially loves cucumber seeds. Seedlings dry up, damaged plants can be easily pulled out of the soil.

Potato moth also suffers from tomato, pepper, eggplant, tobacco and weeds family of nightshades. In places where potato moths are found, healthy seed is used, in the fall and spring, they dig deep into the soil, plant potatoes (better warmed up) at the optimum early times.

(Leptinotarsa, Doryphora, decemlineata Say)

Potato nematodes are microscopic worms that lodge in potato tubers and infect the root system. The disease of the plant is manifested by yellowing of the leaves, and the crop can, over time, be irrevocably spoiled by the nematode. The pest reproduces by cysts, which very quickly nestle from one area to another: they can move with tubers, parts of the rhizome, even the soil can be infected, so a clod of earth from a shovel can transfer the pest to the other edge of the field.

If agrotechnical technologies for some reason do not suit you, you can use folk remedies for pest control. It is known that the wireworm does not like onions, so watering the wells with onion broth before planting will scare the wireworm away. You can also put a handful of onion peels or mustard powder in each hole, which wireworms also hate.

The first simple and very effective way is to manually assemble the beetle. One female lays more than 400 eggs, so the destruction of even one insect will at least partially reduce the growth on the site. For humans, the beetle is completely harmless, therefore, apart from some psychological discomfort, nothing threatens you. You can arrange bait for the beetle: in early spring, as soon as the soil thaws, potato scraps are laid out on the site or young sprouts are planted. Within a day, the beetle will come out to feast on fresh food, and it can be collected in jars of water and destroyed. After a real planting, the assembly will have to be carried out daily for systematic destruction. It is necessary to eliminate not only adult beetles, but also discovered larvae.

Goose potatoes

Of the chemical means of control, if there are a lot of wireworms, add Provotox to the holes before planting at the rate of 40 g per 10 square meters - it destroys the wireworm larvae.

If there are too many Colorado beetles, I spray the bushes with a solution of Bitoxibacillin (50 g of powder per 10 L of water) twice at weekly intervals. It is safe for humans and animals and is suitable for any phase of the potato growing season.

Further work - weeding, hilling (2. times per season) and watering, if necessary. Flowers of calendula or marigolds, if they sprout, I remove only partially during weeding so that they drive away pests with their smell. Many neighbors got rid of the Colorado potato beetle using my method.

miragro.com

Potato pests "Garden tricks

In root vegetables and in potato tubers, the bear eats out large cavities, which then rot, gnaws at the stems and tears apart the roots. Although the bear lives mostly underground, at night it can fly over considerable distances, and also quickly swims in the water.

Let's "chew" a little

They also destroy self-seeding and weeds of the Solanaceae family, huddle bushes high, cut the tops before harvesting. Cellars and other storage areas are whitewashed. The temperature during storage should not exceed 3-5oС. If it is not possible to store potatoes at low temperatures, they are protected with biological products: lepidocide or bitoxibacillin. On the day of harvesting, the tubers are immersed in a 1% suspension of the drug (100 g per 10 L of water) for 4-5 minutes.

- belongs to this. leaf gnats (Crysomelidae), up to 1 cm in length and up to 7 mm in width. Body reddish yellow, elytra light yellow, with 5 black longitudinal stripes; there are several black dots on the chest shield, in places merging into spots; the apex of the thickening antennae and the posterior edge of the head are also black.

The first manifestations are yellowing of the lower leaves of a potato bush.

Colorado potato beetle free

You can fight them with the help of traps. On the site, holes are dug into which young potato leaves are laid, and after a while pests can be collected and destroyed. This will prevent re-infestation, as each female is capable of laying several hundred eggs.

Selection of resistant varieties. Some potato varieties are less susceptible to the pest, so you can get by with just one or two dressings. Among them are the varieties Temp, Iskra, Zarevo and some others.

How to deal with a bear

Elena KARNAKOVA, Irkutsk

From the bear, I dig plastic bottles with a cut-off bottom into the aisles to the brim. I pour 200 ml of a mixture of honey (1 tablespoon), ground pepper (20 g) into them, hot water(1 l). The bear, attracted by the smell, climbs into the bottle, but cannot get back out.

Vera NIKITENKO, Polotsk

Beetles will be chased away ... beetles

Caterpillars live in the upper soil layer, leaving to feed at night. Specimens younger ages they eat leaves, at older ages they gnaw the stems of seedlings, and caterpillars of the 1st generation do more damage. In natural habitats, it prefers to develop on plants from the families of Hibiscus and Compositae

Due to the secretive lifestyle, birds do not pose a threat to her. The bear causes the greatest damage to gardens with well-manured, regularly irrigated, loose, humus-rich soil.

Not to taste

Then they are dried and stored. Of the chemical agents for controlling caterpillars, you can use, for example, decis, cymbush, combining them with treatments against the Colorado potato beetle. Additional processing is carried out at the end of August only against moths so that the caterpillars do not penetrate the tubers.

Damages vegetables, melons, industrial crops. The greatest damage is done in Ukraine and Belarus. sugar beets, potatoes, tomatoes. In Transcaucasia, it periodically harms cotton, tobacco, sunflower, corn, essential oil crops. In southern Siberia and in the south Of the Far East can severely harm vegetables, as well as damage seedlings and seedlings tree species(pine, maple, Manchurian ash and walnut). The economic threshold of harmfulness is 3-5 caterpillars / sq. m. The development of the bear is as follows: in the spring, when the soil warms up to 12-150C (first half of May), the bear crawls out of hibernation and, in search of food, begins to make numerous horizontal passages in the soil at a depth of about 2-5 cm. During the breeding season (May, June), bears appear on the surface of the earth. Next to the main passage, they arrange a 6x6 cm nest-cave at a depth of 10-20 cm.

Wireworms

Peas from the Colorado potato beetle

Beetles hibernate in the ground; come out in the spring during the appearance of potato greens, which they feed on before they begin to multiply. 12-14 days after mating, the female lays yellow testicles on the potato leaves, up to 11/2 mm long. each, in small groups. The egg-laying period lasts up to 40 days; one female lays only up to 700 and even up to 1200 eggs. From the eggs, a week after their deposition, larvae hatch, which also feed on potato greens; they grow quickly - within 17-20 days, molt 3 times and adults go to the ground to pupate.

If you dig up the affected bush, you can find small grains of sand - cysts on its roots: this is one of the main signs of nematode damage.

Pest attack

To avoid the appearance of pest butterflies, it is necessary to get rid of the flowering weeds in the potato field. Butterflies feed on pollen, and in the absence of flowers, they will not appear in the field. In addition, traps are located at a height of 1 m: containers with kvass or molasses. Insects will flock to the sweet smell, after which they can be eliminated.

Chemicals very often do not give the effect that can be achieved with relatively simple folk remedies tested by many gardeners.

Potato pests: Colorado potato beetle

Get out, bear!

Dmitry KHARCHEVKIN, t. Bryansk

With us, she smoked for a long time, causing damage not only to the roots of plants, but also eating the roots themselves. Alder and aspen branches helped. We broke fresh twigs (with bark) and stuck them into the ground at a distance of 0.5 m from each other along all the potato ridges - and the bears left the garden very quickly. It turned out that the pests cannot stand this smell and go away. The branches were changed to new ones several times during the season.

Repel the attack!

Tatiana CHUPRAKOVA, Minsk

Agrotechnical protective measures: destruction of weeds, removal of plant residues from the field after harvesting, deep autumn plowing, inter-row cultivation, optimal early sowing, inclusion of vetch-oat fallow in the crop rotation, digging of barrage ditches and furrows, irrigation.

There they lay dark yellow eggs in heaps (500 pieces!). After 2 weeks, larvae emerge from the eggs, leaving the nest in late June - early July. Bears become adult insects capable of bearing offspring only on next year, but even in the larval stage, they quickly destroy cultivated plants.

10 ways to defeat a wireworm

- these are the larvae of click beetles (family Elateridae - Nutcrackers). Even with an average number of 6-8 pieces per 1 m2, they damage up to 60% of potato tubers and other crops.

The first devastation made by him was noticed in 1859 in the state of Colorado - hence the name of the beetle. Distinguished by monstrous fertility and extraordinary endurance in relation to climatic influences both in the larval stage and in the imago stage, the K. beetle quickly spread by gradual migrations almost all over the east. states of North. America, and in 1874 appeared, at last, in masses on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

However, European farmers have been successfully coping with this scourge for a long time and have used several methods for this:

Requires from the farmer not only proper care and watering, but also knowledge of the intricacies of the fight against the Colorado potato beetle and complex diseases. Having learned how to cope with late blight, actinomycosis, rhizoctonia, macrosporiosis, phomosis and viral diseases, the farmer will be able to save the crop from death.

Pests

A persistent and most dangerous pest of potatoes. It also damages eggplants, peppers, tomatoes.

Beetles are ovoid, convex above, flat below. Elytra with 10 black stripes. The length of the beetle is 6 mm. The larvae are worm-like, orange-red with a black head and two rows of black dots on the sides. The length of the larva is up to 16 mm.

The beetle develops in two generations a year. Beetles overwinter in the soil at a depth of 20-80 cm, mainly in areas emerging from under potatoes and tomatoes. In spring, beetles appear on the soil surface with the emergence of potato seedlings. The exit of beetles from their wintering places is uncommon: the beetles that overwintered closer to the surface come out earlier. In this regard, oviposition and hatching of larvae are extended over a long period. Some of the beetles remain in the soil until next spring.

At first, the beetles stay under the lumps of soil, at the base of the plants, crawling out onto the leaves only in the warm part of the day, feeding sluggishly. As the temperature rises, the beetles feed more intensively, mating and egg laying occurs. In search of food plants, beetles can fly long distances. Females lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. One clutch can contain up to 60-70 eggs. Orange-yellow eggs on a green leaf background are clearly visible, which makes them easier to collect and destroy. Fertility of the female is up to 600 eggs.

Egg development, depending on the air temperature, lasts from 5 to 17 days. The larvae develop for about a month. Then they go into the soil, where they pupate at a depth of 5-15 cm. The pupal stage lasts 6-15 days. Young beetles emerge from the soil with fragile, lighter covers. They immediately begin feeding, mating and laying eggs. Beetles of the second generation leave for the winter.

Control measures. Regular manual collection of beetles, eggs and larvae and their subsequent destruction. The efficiency of manual collection of insects is higher in warm hours of the day, when beetles and larvae are on the plants. Spraying potatoes in the spring when larvae of 2-3 years (2-3 mm in length) appear and again after 8-12 days. Two sprays are carried out against beetles and second generation larvae. For spraying, drugs are used: karate, sherpa, fyori, sumi-alpha, arrivo or kinmix. From biological products, bitoxibacillin is recommended during the period of mass hatching of beetle larvae of the first and second generations. Spraying twice, with an interval of 6-8 days. The effectiveness of bitoxibacillin increases at an air temperature of + 20 ° C and above.

Nematoda is a worm 1-1.3 mm long. Damages aerial parts and tubers of potatoes. To a lesser extent, it harms peas, carrots, tomatoes and other plants. Lives on sow thistle, dandelion, nightshade.

The source of infection is planting material... From the infected planted tubers, the nematode passes into the stems, and then into the young tubers. Each female lays up to 250 eggs. Signs of infestation: shortened and thickened stem, small corrugated leaves. Pa infected tubers appear gray spots, the tissue darkens, the skin falls behind, the pulp becomes rotten. In storage, the nematode moves from infected tubers to healthy ones. Mechanical damage to the tuber facilitates the penetration of the nematode into it. The increased temperature and humidity are favorable for the reproduction and spread of the nematode.

Primary infection can occur through the soil, through containers, inventory.

Control measures. Careful bulkheading of seed potatoes and discarding nematode infested tubers. Compliance with the rotation of crops: the potatoes should return to their original place after 3-4 years. Control of weeds that the nematode can live on. Digging the soil in the fall.

Diseases

Phytophthora

The most common and harmful disease of potatoes, which causes premature drying of the tops and rotting of tubers. Cool and humid weather is favorable for the development of the disease. In addition to potatoes, the fungus affects tomatoes.

Signs of the disease become visible after flowering. Dark brown oily spots appear on the leaves. In wet weather, the spots grow rapidly, and on the underside of the leaves, in places of tissue damage, a plaque of conidiophores with conidia spores forms. Wind and rain will spread the spores. Once on healthy leaves, the spores germinate, the seedling penetrates the leaf through the stomata. The healthy leaf becomes infected. The diseased tissues of the leaf turn black and dry out. Elongated brown spots-stripes appear on the petioles and stems, eventually covering their entire surface.

Tubers are affected by late blight during the growing season and during harvesting. During the rains, the spores are washed off by water from the leaves, and together with it they penetrate the soil, infecting the tubers. During the harvesting period, tubers become infected by contact with infected tops. In the storage facility, infection of healthy tubers from diseased ones does not occur, although the development of the fungus continues in previously infected tubers. Infected tubers have brown, depressed spots. The tissue under the spots turns brown, gradually spreading into the depths of the tuber. Fungi and bacteria easily penetrate into tubers affected by late blight, causing rapid rotting of the tuber. Tubers infected with late blight, when planted in spring, give sick plants, from which the infection spreads to healthy plants.

Control measures. Alternation of crops on the site. Potatoes should return to their original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Planting potatoes with healthy tubers: tubers intended for planting are carefully sorted in spring, discarding sick ones, germinated in the light 20-25 days before planting at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° С.

Planting tubers in optimal terms(with early planting of tubers, potatoes are affected by late blight more often).

Two-three-fold hilling of plants during the growing season. Tubers located on the surface or close to the soil surface are infected with late blight more often and earlier.

Spraying plants during budding - at the beginning of flowering, when the first signs of the disease appear, with one of the following drugs: 1% Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride, arcerid or ridomyl. In wet years, if necessary, spraying is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 5-8 days. The last spraying is carried out no later than 15 days before harvest.

Mowing and removing potato tops from the site 2-3 days before harvesting the tubers. This will avoid contact of the tubers with the infected tops.

Harvesting tubers in dry sunny weather, drying them well in the sun and wind.

Sorting tubers before storing them with a selection of diseased potatoes.

Common scab (actinomycotic)

Widespread potato disease. The causative agent of the disease - a fungus - infects potato tubers. On the tubers, the fungus forms cracking warts or ulcers. Ulcers can coalesce and cover the entire surface of the tuber or a significant part of it. Sometimes ulcers appear on stolons and potato roots. Affected tubers are poorly stored. Other fungi and bacteria penetrate the ulcers, the tuber rots. The starch content in diseased tubers decreases.

The sources of infection are soil and planting material. Dry and hot weather is favorable for scab development. Contribute to infection various damage tuber skins.

Control measures. Alternation of crops: potatoes can be planted in their original place only after 3-4 years.

Careful selection of planting material: only healthy tubers must be planted.

Black scab (rhizoctonia)

The fungus infects potatoes, many nightshade, pumpkin, cruciferous plants.

The disease manifests itself on potato sprouts in the form of black spots and sores. Diseased shoots die off, often not having time to come to the surface of the soil. During the growing season, the fungus infects the base of the stems and roots. On diseased stems, in damp weather, an off-white felt coating of spores forms. Spores scatter around, infecting soil and tubers. The surface of the infected tubers is covered with numerous small black sclerotia, similar to lumps of earth. This form of the disease is therefore called black scab.

Sclerotia and mycelium of the fungus overwinter in the soil and tubers. Tubers and soil are the main sources of potato infestation in spring.

Control measures .. Rotation of crops on the site: return the potatoes to their original place not earlier than after 3-4 years. Selection for planting healthy tubers that are not infected with the disease. Timely weeding and hilling of plants.

The causative agent of the disease (fungus) affects potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants. The disease manifests itself on the leaves in the form of large (up to 7 mm) rounded or angular dry brown spots. An inconspicuous bloom of sporulation appears on the spots. The affected leaves dry out. The fungus rarely infects tubers, causing the appearance of brown depressed spots on them.

The most intense development of the disease is observed before the flowering of potatoes. For the development of the disease, a sufficiently high temperature of + 24 ... +25 C is favorable. The fungus is preserved on the remains of affected plants.

Control measures.

  1. Compliance with the rotation of crops when returning potatoes to their original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.
  2. Mowing the tops and taking them out of the garden before harvesting potatoes.
  3. Removal of plant residues from the garden in the fall.
  4. Digging the soil.
  5. Spraying potato plants with 1% Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride or arceride when the first spots of the disease appear on the leaves and again after 6-8 days.
  6. Mowing the tops and removing them from the site 3 - 5 days before harvesting the tubers.

Fusarium (dry rot of tubers)

The fungus infects tubers during storage and aerial parts of the plant during the growing season. Penetrating from the soil into the vascular-fibrous bundles, the fungus clogs them, which is why the plant quickly withers and dries out.

Depressed grayish-brown spots first appear on the tubers; The damaged skin shrinks and the flesh becomes dry and rotten. The rot quickly spreads throughout the tuber. The decayed tuber remains dry and light. Sporulation pads develop on the surface of the diseased tuber. Spores infect healthy tubers. Fusarium primarily infects tubers damaged by insects or mechanically damaged. Infection can also occur with mycelium, if sick and healthy tubers come into contact with each other.

The fungus persists for a long time in the soil and on plant debris. It enters the storage facility with the soil adhering to the tubers.

Control measures.

  1. Alternation of crops with the return of potatoes to their original place not earlier than after 5 years.
  2. Removal from the garden and destruction of diseased plants.
  3. Laying of selected only healthy tubers for storage, free from mechanical damage and insect damage, without signs of other diseases.
  4. Drying tubers before storage.
  5. Cleaning and disinfection of storage facilities, periodic airing during storage of tubers.
  6. Bulkheading of tubers during storage with the removal of potatoes showing signs of disease.

Fomoz

Fungal disease of tubers and stems. During the flowering of potatoes, elongated spots appear on the stems and leaf stalks. Later, spores develop on the spots. The spores are transported to healthy plants by wind and rain. Sick plants lag behind in development, wither. On tubers, the fungus causes the formation of dark, rounded spots. The tissue under the spots turns brown, cavities with a gray coating on the walls form inside the tuber. After a while, diseased tubers completely rot.

Diseased tubers and plant debris are the source of infection.

Control measures.

  1. Rotation of crops with the return of potatoes to their original place after 4 years.
  2. Selection for planting healthy tubers.
  3. Pre-harvest mowing of potato tops and removing them from the site.

Ring rot

Bacterial disease is common. The aboveground organs of plants and tubers are affected.

The source of the disease is infected tubers. When diseased tubers are planted, bacteria penetrate from them into the vessels of the stem, and through the stolons - into the vessels of growing tubers. During harvesting of potatoes, bacteria can get on the tubers when they come into contact with diseased tops. Violation of the integrity of the skin of tubers during

cleaning or transport time makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate. The development of the disease during the growing season is favored heat and high humidity air.

Signs of the disease appear before flowering and during flowering of potatoes. On diseased plants, yellowing and curling of leaves is first observed. Then the tops wither and dry out. The vessels of the stem of dead plants darken, they are filled with yellowish mucus containing a lot of bacteria. In diseased tubers, external signs of the disease are not visible. A diseased tuber is easy to recognize when cut. On a fresh cut of a diseased tuber, not far from its surface, a yellowish-dark ring of vascular bundles clearly appears. The tissue of the vessels is soft; from it, when the tuber is squeezed, yellowish mucus with accumulations of bacteria in it is squeezed out. On a cut of a healthy tuber, the ring of vessels does not differ in color from the rest of the mass of the tuber. The diseased tuber gradually decays.

Control measures.

  1. Selection for seeds of healthy tubers that have no signs of disease and mechanical damage.
  2. Removing diseased plants from the garden when examining potato plantings during flowering and later.
  3. Pre-harvest mowing of potato tops and removing them from the garden.
  4. Harvesting when the tubers are fully ripe, when their skin becomes coarse.
  5. Drying tubers before storage with a sample of patients.
  6. Digging the soil in autumn with careful incorporation of plant residues.

Potato viral diseases

In the south of Russia, potatoes are affected by many types of viruses. The most common viral diseases listed below.

Mosaic. It affects potatoes and wild nightshades. The disease manifests itself on the leaves in the form of alternating light green and dark green areas. The mosaic (variegation) of the leaves is more clearly manifested during the flowering of potatoes. The virus persists in tubers. From a diseased plant to a healthy one, the virus is transmitted by sucking insects (aphids, bedbugs, cicadas).

Wrinkled mosaic. The leaves of diseased plants become wrinkled, acquire a light, often variegated (mosaic) color. They anchor, hang down. The stems become coarse, while making them fragile. The virus persists in tubers.

Striped mosaic. It affects potatoes and tomatoes. The disease manifests itself in the form of black angular spots of dead tissue on the leaves and black stripes on the stems and petioles. Diseased leaves dry up and fall off, starting from the base of the plant. The stems become brittle and die off quickly. Through the vessels, the virus penetrates from the tops into the tubers and remains in them until the potatoes are planted.

Rolling leaves. The virus infects potatoes and tomatoes. The leaves of diseased plants curl upward. Leaves become brittle, plants slow down their growth. The virus overwinters in tubers.

Measures to combat viral diseases:

  • use for planting tubers from healthy plants;
  • selection of planting material in the spring; culling of tubers with weakened, threadlike sprouts, with spots of dying tissue;
  • regular inspection of potato plantings and removal of plants with signs of viral diseases;

The potato crop can be seriously affected by various insects. Since potato pests cause serious damage to plants and can reduce the amount of the crop, you need to know how to deal with them correctly.

We will tell you how to recognize the main pests and how to properly deal with Colorado beetles, wireworms and nematodes using chemical means and folk methods.

The main pests of potatoes: their description and treatment

Potato tubers and bushes can be affected by pests at all stages of cultivation. In our article you will find the necessary information about these insects, their photos, descriptions and methods of treatment that will help save the crop.

The danger is potato moth, bear and aphids. All of them cause damage to plants, slowing down their growth and formation of tubers. Detailed description pests and methods of controlling them will be given below.

Golden nematode (methods and measures of control)

A nematoda is a small helminth that feeds on tubers and root tissues. There are several types of nematodes, but the greatest danger is the golden nematode (Figure 2).

The larvae hatch in the spring and penetrate the roots of the potato. Feeding on tissues, they greatly slow down the growth of the plant. The leaves of an infected bush are small, yellow and wither quickly. When affected by a nematode on the bush, too small tubers, but there are many insects, the harvest may not be at all.

Note: Mass infection with golden nematode requires quarantine. The soil on the site is treated with special chemicals and is not used for growing crops for another 5 years.

To combat the nematode, the following means are used:

  • Before starting field work, the soil is treated with urea, and after harvesting it is sprinkled with lime;
  • Fertilization with liquid chicken droppings can destroy the nematode larvae in the soil. Fertilization is carried out immediately after planting;
  • All planting material is carefully examined before planting;
  • Infected bushes are dug up and treated with bleach in a specially dug hole.

Figure 2. Golden nematode and signs of pest infestation on tubers

In order to prevent nematode infestation, you cannot plant potatoes in one place for more than three years in a row. But if pests do appear, you need to treat the plantings with Bazudin, which eliminates not only nematodes, but also wireworms.

Wireworms in potatoes: how to get rid of

These are beetle larvae that can stay and develop in the soil for several years. At favorable conditions the larvae wake up and begin to destroy the crop (Figure 3).


Figure 3. Symptoms of a wireworm injury

Insects are especially active with insufficient soil moisture. They penetrate the roots and tubers, gnawing holes in them, reducing the quality of products and making plants more susceptible to disease.

How to deal with a wireworm on potatoes? First of all, you need to plow deeply the ground in order to destroy the larvae. In addition, during the cultivation process, it is imperative to weed out, and on small areas lay out baits (for example, pieces of raw potatoes). They will attract nematode larvae and can be killed by hand.

How to process potatoes before planting

Preparations from this insect are very diverse, and differ in principle of action and price. Similar preparations are used to treat tubers before planting. This strengthens the plants and makes them more resistant to diseases and pest larvae.

For processing potatoes before planting, Prestige or the Russian analogue of Tabu is most often used. Tubers can be processed in containers by simply spraying them with the preparation. In addition, you can prepare a solution and add it to the wells directly during planting.

Wireworm remedies

How to get rid of a wireworm on a potato if it does appear? For the treatment of bushes, the same drug Prestige is used. However, there are other remedies that are similar in action.

You can process plantings using the chemicals Kruiser, Pikus, Imidor or Commander. In composition, they are close to Prestige, but, in addition to the wireworm, they are capable of destroying the larvae and adults of other pests, in particular the Colorado potato beetle and nematodes.

Chemistry for processing potatoes from wireworm

To protect the potatoes during cultivation, they are treated with special chemicals. They can be used both for pre-sowing treatment and for pest control directly during the cultivation of vegetables.

Anti-wireworm drugs include(Figure 4):

  1. Cruiser- insecticide systemic action, which destroys many terrestrial and underground insects;
  2. Celeste Top- an effective remedy against diseases and pests;
  3. Voliam Flexy- an insecticide consisting of two components. It is used against aphids, Colorado potato beetle and wireworms;
  4. Force- a drug that quickly destroys the larvae even before the start of damage to the tubers.

Figure 4. Preparations against wireworm

Chemicals are regularly updated, so when buying, it is better to familiarize yourself with the assortment and choose several drugs at once for complex effects.

How to deal with the Colorado potato beetle

This is the main pest of potatoes. A massive invasion of these insects can lead to the fact that in a short time only bare stems will remain from the green bushes (Figure 5).


Figure 5. Damage to crops by Colorado beetles

After the emergence of seedlings, the potatoes must be treated with drugs against this type of pest.

The better to poison

How to deal with these insects on potatoes? Of course, with the help of special chemicals. Common drugs include (Figure 6):

  • Systemic chemicals Mospilan, Sonnet, Commander, Iskra. They are used three times during the entire growing season. But the last treatment should be carried out no later than 3 weeks before harvest.
  • Preparations of fungal and bacterial origin Fitoverm, Boverin and Agrovertin quickly destroy young larvae. After one treatment, the drug continues to act, causing the death of insects within a week.

Figure 6. Remedies against the Colorado potato beetle

It is impossible to use the same drugs for several seasons in a row. Insects gradually become accustomed to certain products, so chemicals need to be alternated.

Colorado potato beetle remedies

Folk remedies also exist. But they are only suitable for small areas, since their use is associated with serious labor costs. For example, beetles and their larvae can be harvested by hand. But since insects easily fly from one bush to another, this procedure will have to be repeated constantly.

Also, spraying with infusions of mint, poplar, basil and black currant leaves is used to combat insects. The strong smell of the liquid will keep insects away. The first treatment is carried out immediately after the emergence of seedlings and is subsequently repeated several times per season. Beans or coriander can be planted next to potatoes. The scent of these plants will help reduce the number of pests.

In addition, there is a distracting way of dealing with it. To do this, you need to plant a few tubers before the rest. Large green bushes will attract pests and are much easier to harvest and destroy.

From the video you will learn a recipe for making an environmentally friendly means of fighting the Colorado potato beetle.

The potato moth is a gray moth whose caterpillars destroy the leaves and stems of plants, but do not touch the ripened tubers (Figure 7).

In order to prevent damage to the bushes by moths, you need to control the quality of the planting material. The larvae can be destroyed by heating the tubers in warm water at a temperature of 40 degrees. In addition, when planting, the tubers must be sealed to a depth of at least 15 cm, and during the cultivation process, hilling should be carried out several times and weeds destroyed.


Figure 7. Appearance potato moth

In autumn, you need to plow deeply the soil to destroy the remaining larvae and butterflies, and treat the tubers with a solution of methyl bromide before laying them in storage. In case of mass defeat, spraying with insecticides (Lepidocid, Entobacterin, etc.) is used. Spraying is carried out before the formation of ovaries. This will weaken the insects and delay the development of juveniles.

Protection and prevention

Preventing the spread of pests will help keep your plants healthy. First of all, for this you need to carry out deep plowing of the soil in the fall. This will help destroy the larvae left in the soil.

In the process of cultivation, it is recommended to carry out hilling several times and remove weeds. Such plants can contain adults and larvae. Hilling allows you to loosen the soil to a greater depth, which also helps to eliminate young insects. In addition, before planting, you can treat the tubers with special prophylactic agents, and use insecticides already during the cultivation process.

Funds

There are effective folk remedies that will help prevent pest infestations. However, they are labor intensive and do not have the effectiveness of chemicals. At the same time, in small areas, the use of folk remedies for prevention can be very effective.

You can throw some wood ash into the hole during planting. It will scare away insects and prevent the larvae from developing. In addition, plants with a pronounced odor (for example, calendula, basil, or dill) can be planted next to potatoes.

An effective means of protecting tubers is considered to be the treatment of planting material with a solution of potassium permanganate. The ash solution has the same effect. The ash is simply dissolved in a bucket and the potatoes are dipped into the liquid. Such processing helps to protect the planting material from diseases and pests.

Drugs

Chemicals are considered a more effective means of protecting against pests. The most popular drug for prevention is Prestige, and its domestic counterpart Tabu.

The finished solution of the drug can simply be poured into the hole when planting or sprayed on the tubers a few days before planting. After processing, the potatoes must be dried.

The author of the video will tell you how to properly deal with potato pests.