Methods of dealing with common potato pests

It is difficult to find a garden plot in Russia where potatoes would not be grown. This vegetable has long and firmly taken pride of place in our diet. However, for some reason, most gardeners believe that tubers can simply be thrown into the ground in spring and forgotten about for several months. At the same time, there are many diseases and pests that are quite capable of destroying the entire future potato crop, if nothing is done. From some viruses, fungi and bacteria, breeders have learned to protect the culture, but with very rare exceptions, nothing can be done so far with harmful insects. Therefore, you need to be able to recognize the alarming symptoms in time, indicating the appearance of a particular pest, and know how to deal with it.

You need to start fighting for the future harvest as soon as the first shoots of potatoes appear. Plants are regularly examined for the presence of characteristic symptoms, at the first suspicious signs, appropriate measures are taken.

A mandatory procedure is weeding the beds. Many weeds are "home" for most insects. Mulching row-spacings with freshly cut grass, straw, peat chips, and humus will help save time on weeding. Do not use sawdust for this purpose - they strongly acidify the soil, which potatoes do not like very much.

In autumn, the garden bed must be cleaned of all plant residues and dug deep. This will help destroy eggs and insect larvae.

The only pest that breeders managed to protect potatoes from is the golden nematode. Varieties Zhukovsky early, Zavorovsky, Rozhdestvensky, Pushkinets, Latona, Sante, Symphony, Fresco have resistance to it.

An almost universal folk remedy is sifted wood ash. Tubers (and especially their parts) are dusted with it during planting, as well as adult plants. Ideally, this should be done every time it rains. Colloidal sulfur has a similar effect, but it is used less frequently, about once a month.

When using insecticides, it should be remembered that the use of drugs of biological origin is stopped 5-7 days before the expected harvest. Chemicals - in 20-25 days. The latter is highly undesirable to use during flowering. Solutions are prepared in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The approximate consumption rate is 8–10 l / m². The smaller the drops, the more evenly they cover the plant. Therefore, it is advisable to use special sprayers.

When choosing a pest control agent in each case, a reasonable balance should be struck. It is unlikely that folk "old-fashioned" methods will help with a massive pest invasion. But the "heavy artillery" should not be rolled out, having found several insects.

Typical potato pests

Potatoes are attacked by many pests. Both the aerial part of the plant and the tubers suffer from them. The following are most often found in garden plots.

Potato flea

Adults of the potato flea, resembling small (2-3 mm long) bugs, feed on potato tops, the larvae gnaw the roots. Most often, their appearance can be observed in a hot dry summer, especially if the tubers were planted quite late. On the leaves and shoots appear small depressed areas of brown-beige.

For prevention, you can use pieces of thick cardboard smeared with honey or jam, as well as a special adhesive tape for catching flies. The traps are changed about once every 10–12 days. Those who do not trust folk remedies use Taboo or Phosphamide (0.2% solution). They are sprayed with potatoes every 10-15 days from the moment of germination. If there are few bugs or a small area, an infusion of chamomile flowers helps or dusting the leaves with a mixture of sifted wood ash and powdered dry tobacco leaves (1: 1).

potato scoop

The potato scoop looks like a moth. The small moths of a grayish-brown color themselves do not cause much harm to potato plantings. But with their larvae will have to wage a serious fight. The pest is unpretentious, but prefers shade and high humidity. Scoop eggs hibernate in plant debris in the garden, in spring the larvae penetrate the stems of young plants, gnawing them from the inside. Not only potatoes, but also any plants from the Solanaceae family can suffer from them.

A good prevention of the appearance of potato scoops is special pheromone traps for adults. Also, do not forget about the regular weeding of the beds and cleaning it from dried tops, weeds, and other debris in the fall. Against the larvae, insecticides are used (Inta-Vir, Aktar, Calypso), as well as infusions of marigolds, calendula, and wormwood. Plants are sprayed with chemicals every 15–20 days, with folk remedies every 5–7 days, or even more often if it rains constantly.

golden potato nematode

The nematode is practically the only pest that breeders have learned to protect potatoes from. But so far, not all varieties can boast of having immunity against it. It is almost impossible to see small, almost threadlike worms with the naked eye. To accurately verify the presence of a nematode, you will have to dig out the entire bush. On the roots, spherical thickenings with a diameter of 1-3 mm will be clearly visible.

Alarming signs that you need to pay attention to are yellowing leaves (starting from the bottom), slowing down the growth of the bush, a general decrease in its tone, poor flowering. Tubers on such plants are formed very small or not formed at all. In the presence of potatoes, the pest also passes to them - the skin becomes covered with grayish dents, cracks, the flesh in these places softens and turns brown.

Nematode eggs remain viable for 8–10 years, gradually accumulating in the soil. Therefore, the best prevention is crop rotation. In the same place, potatoes can be grown for a maximum of 3-4 years, then you need to look for another bed for it, on which its “relatives” from the Solanaceae family have not grown before. They suffer from the same diseases and pests.

It is useful to pre-sow the selected area with green manure plants. They not only improve the quality of the soil and saturate it with useful macronutrients. Flax, clover, lupine, mustard leaf repel nematodes. In the spring, 15–20 days before planting potatoes, special preparations of a similar effect can be added to the garden bed - Nematicide, Nemabakt. Tubers for planting for the next season are carefully selected and washed in running water, the skin is brushed. The latter also applies to planting material purchased in the store.

In the event of a massive defeat by nematodes last season, the soil is deeply dug up in the fall and sprayed with insecticides - Carbation, Heterophos, Thiazon. In the spring, the soil is loosened, the treatment is repeated, distributing the preparations in dry form over the surface of the beds 25–30 days before the proposed planting of potatoes.

Video: nematode control in the garden

potato moth

It is quite difficult for a non-professional to distinguish an adult potato moth from the potato scoop described above. The similarity is also in the fact that caterpillars mainly harm plantings. At the same time, they destroy foliage, stems and tubers of potatoes not only in summer. Caterpillars are quite capable of surviving at temperatures of 10–12°C. Therefore, if the tubers are stored incorrectly, during the winter they can deprive the gardener of most of the crop. They pollute the pulp of potatoes with excrement, it is no longer possible to eat it.

To prevent the appearance of potato moths, care must be taken that the storage conditions for potatoes are optimal or close to them. The temperature in the room should not exceed 3–5°C, low humidity and good ventilation are required. In the spring, all potatoes intended for planting are carefully examined, those on which the slightest suspicious traces are visible are immediately rejected.

To combat adults, drugs Lepidocid, Bitoxibacillin are used. They are sprayed with emerging shoots from the end of May to the end of July with an interval of 7–12 days. Homemade traps also give a good effect - shallow containers filled with something sweet (sugar syrup, diluted honey, jam).

Caterpillars are destroyed by digging up the soil in spring and autumn, deeply loosening the aisles every time after rain. During the season, high hilling is carried out 2-3 times. Experienced gardeners recommend cutting off potato tops 1.5–2 weeks before the expected harvest. In the event of a massive pest invasion, any broad-spectrum insecticides are used to spray the leaves - Inta-Vir, Tanrek, Fury, Mospilan, Aktellik. "Heavy artillery" - 10% solution of Karbofos.

Medvedka

Medvedka is a large insect that lives in the soil. It moves along independently dug passages and in the process of movement it may well gnaw through the roots or damage potato tubers.

Good prevention - special preparations of biological origin (Medvetoks, Thunder, Prestige). The granules are distributed around the perimeter of the beds or brought into the aisles, then the soil is watered abundantly. Their validity period is 20–25 days. Some gardeners advise surrounding the potato bed with onions or garlic, the pungent smell of which supposedly scares away the bear, but this method does not always work.

If there are few insects, holes dug in the ground filled with bait - fermented yeast, beer, millet, corn or barley porridge with the addition of any vegetable oil and a 2-3% Metaphos solution (25 ml / l) help well. It is best to do everything necessary 3-5 days before planting potatoes. Then you can repeat when the first shoots appear, spreading the porridge between the rows. Boiling water or the same vegetable oil is poured into the discovered holes.

Cases of mass invasion of bears are quite rare. Karbofos can help here. Plants are watered under the root with a 10% solution, spending 60–80 liters per hundred square meters. In autumn, several holes are dug in the garden, filling them with fresh manure. When it gets colder, they scatter it around the site, destroying the bears who gathered to spend the winter in the warmth.

leafhopper

Cicadas are very small, almost indistinguishable insects with the naked eye, resembling aphids or fleas. They settle on the leaves and feed on the sap of the plant. The leaves affected by their invasion are covered with small pale green or beige dots, gradually dry and die. The cicada is dangerous not only in itself, but also as a carrier of pathogenic viruses. And through the “punctures” left by it in the outer shell of the leaf, spores of fungi and bacteria penetrate inside.

To prevent the appearance of cicadas, tubers are sprayed 3-5 days before planting with a solution of Tabu, Karate, Cruiser preparations. The treatment is repeated when the first shoots appear and immediately after flowering. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the potato bed, but also to the neighboring ones. The cicada does not disdain eggplants, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini.

How to deal with the Colorado potato beetle

The Colorado potato beetle is a familiar pest "imported" to Europe from the United States after the First World War. He is capable, if not fought with him, to destroy almost all potato leaves, leaving only the stems and veins. In this case, the yield drops by 50% or more. Adults are yellowish in color with longitudinal black stripes on the shell, larvae have a reddish-brick hue and black dots.

Photo gallery: what the Colorado potato beetle looks like

The eggs of the female Colorado potato beetle are most often hidden under a leaf.
The larvae of the Colorado potato beetle are able to devour a potato bush in a matter of days, leaving only the stems and veins between the leaves.
Adults of the Colorado potato beetle do not eat potatoes, but they also need to be fought.

The most common way to deal with it is to pick up the larvae from the bushes by hand. In this case, you can’t just shake them off to the ground. But there are also less time-consuming, more effective methods.

Bitoxibacillin. The maximum number of treatments per season is four. The first is carried out immediately after flowering, the next - with an interval of 10-12 days. The dosage of the drug is 50–70 g per 10 liters of water. The day should be dry and cloudy, the air temperature should be 18°C and above. Individuals emerging from exposed larvae are sterile and can infect other adult beetles, causing an epidemic.
Colorado. Bushes are sprayed after flowering and after another 5-7 days. For 10 liters of water take about 150 g of the drug. Infected larvae cannot eat, quickly die.
Bicol. Three treatments are carried out, spraying seedlings and plants after flowering. The last treatment is 7–10 days after the second. Dosage - 15-20 g of the drug per 10 liters of water.
Fitoverm. It is used when the first individuals are found. The drug penetrates into the body of the larvae through the outer shell, reaching the intestines, paralyzes it. After 3-6 days, the larvae die. The solution is prepared according to the instructions. The treatment must be repeated after 12-15 days, since the drug does not affect the eggs of the Colorado potato beetle. The day for the procedure is chosen dry, clear and warm (18 ° C and above).
Agravertin. The mechanism of action and scheme of application is the same as that of Fitoverm. But it can also be used at lower temperatures, up to 12°C.
Boverin. In a bucket of water, dilute 100-200 g of the drug. Consumption is very small, only about 4 liters per hundred square meters. The first time the potatoes are processed after flowering, then twice more with an interval of 12-14 days.

If time has already been lost, and the pest has bred en masse, potent chemicals are used. There are quite a few of them, Aktara, Konfidor, Regent, Mospilan, Tsimbush are most often used. The scheme of application is approximately the same, but you must first read the instructions. For processing, choose a warm, clear, calm day. The best time for the procedure is before 10 am or after 6 pm. Leaves must be dry. Do not forget about yourself - take care of gloves, a respirator, goggles. Usually 3-4 treatments at intervals of 10-14 days are sufficient. It is advisable to change drugs, the Colorado potato beetle has the ability to quickly develop immunity to many poisons.

There are many alternative means of pest control that do not involve the use of chemicals. The easiest way is to build traps by digging deep containers into the ground in a garden bed so that their upper edge is flush with the ground surface. They are filled with bait - pieces of chopped potatoes soaked in a 10% urea solution for 3-5 hours. The bait needs to be changed every 2-3 days.

Other popular folk remedies against the Colorado potato beetle:

Wood ash. It is sieved and used to dust the tubers and their parts before planting. It is also sprinkled with leaves of flowering potatoes. It is also useful to use ash as a potassium-phosphorus fertilizer during the autumn digging of the beds. An infusion is also made from it - a two-liter jar for 10 liters of water. Ready for use in a day. To make it better "stick" to the leaves, add a little shavings of green potash or laundry soap. Enough 2-3 sprayings with an interval of a week.
Roots and leaves of burdock, wormwood. Fresh raw materials are finely chopped, filling them with about a third of a 10-liter bucket, the rest is topped up with boiling water. After 3-4 days, the infusion is ready. It is filtered before use.
Tobacco leaves. It is advisable to grow them yourself. About 500 g of dry leaves are crushed into powder, pour 10 liters of water, insist for two days. Before use, the infusion is filtered.
Birch tar. The solution is prepared in the proportion of 100 g of tar per 10 liters of water.
Celandine, horsetail, dandelion leaves. The components are mixed in any proportion so that the total mass reaches approximately 3 liters. They are crushed, placed in a bucket, filled with water and boiled for 15–20 minutes. The finished broth is filtered, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 before use.
Mustard powder. 15–20 g is diluted in 10 liters of water. 6-9% table vinegar (about 100 ml) will help enhance the effect.
Tops of tomatoes. About 1 kg of raw materials are crushed, pour 10 liters of warm water. The infusion is ready for use in 5-8 hours.
Vinegar essence. Take one glass per 10 liters, add about 100 g of soda. Freshly prepared solution is most effective.
Colorado beetles themselves. The infusion is prepared only from adults, and you need to collect at least a liter jar. Its contents are poured into 20 liters of water and left for a week in a dark place. Before spraying, the infusion is filtered, diluted with water 1: 3. The remedy must be used as soon as possible.

Video: folk remedies for the fight against the Colorado potato beetle

Methods for the destruction of a wireworm dangerous to the crop

The wireworm (officially the larva of the click beetle) is a thin “worm” pest of a bright yellow-orange color, 2–3 cm long, which is quite difficult to crush. Larvae gnaw through passages in potato tubers, which become "gates" for all kinds of infections. It also has a very negative effect on the keeping quality of tubers.

To avoid the appearance of a wireworm, a potato bed must be weeded, paying special attention to the fight against wheatgrass. Do not abuse rotted (and even more so fresh) manure - it has the ability to acidify the soil.

To prevent the appearance of a wireworm, several granules of superphosphate are placed in each well when planting potatoes, pre-treated with the following insecticide solution (Karate, Aktellik or Decis) - 15 ml, acetone - 200 ml, water - 80–100 ml, or onion peel, dry mustard , hot pepper. You can also disinfect the wells by spilling a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate (about 0.5 liters each).

Effective in the fight against wireworm nitrogen-containing fertilizers - urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate. Potato seedlings are watered with a solution (15–25 g per 10 l of water). But they can only be used before flowering - they stimulate plants to intensively build up green mass to the detriment of tuber formation.

You can also prepare traps, the same as for the Colorado potato beetle. Only as a bait in this case, beets, carrots, rotted straw are used. Once every 2-3 days, the bait is changed, the collected larvae are destroyed (they are destroyed, and not thrown somewhere in the far corner of the site).

Experienced gardeners note that common table salt is very effective in controlling the wireworm pest. But it is possible to treat the surface of the beds with it no more than once every 7 years.

Other folk remedies:

Eggshell. It must be ground into a powder and sprinkled regularly during the season between the rows.
Corn and oats. Seeds are soaked in a solution of any suitable insecticide for a day, then sown on a potato bed about a month before planting. The method is good, but only suitable for warm southern regions.
Dolomite flour. It reduces the acidity of the soil, which the wireworm does not like very much. Norm 1 m² - 250-300 g.
Nettle, celandine, dandelion, coltsfoot. The crushed raw materials are mixed in a ratio of 5:1:2:2, poured with water for 12–15 hours. The bed is shed with a strained solution.
Pine needles. In principle, branches of any coniferous plants are suitable. They cover holes or furrows with potatoes immediately after planting.

In especially severe cases, only potent chemicals can help - Bazudin, Metarizin, Kapkan, Diazinon, Provotox. They are also toxic to humans, so precautions must be taken when processing.

Video: how to get rid of a wireworm

Is it necessary to fight the ground beetle

Not all insects are equally harmful. Ground beetles (small black bugs with a golden-bronze tint) bring undoubted benefits to the garden plot, being natural enemies of many common pests. The only exception to the rule is the bread beetle, which can be distinguished by its shorter stalks and an almost matte black carapace. Despite the name, she does not disdain other plants, eating out tubers from the inside and “grinding” potato stalks.

To combat it, the drugs Volaton, Bazudin, Nurell-D are used. They are used 8–10 days after the end of flowering, cultivating the soil. For prevention, you can spray the solution and tubers before planting.

Plants that repel pests from potatoes

As practice shows, the neighborhood of plants in a garden plot can be successful or unsuccessful. Certain flowers and herbs, most often with a sharp, strong smell, have the ability to repel certain pests. Therefore, they are surrounded by potato beds, planted in the aisles, sprayed with infusions and decoctions of the leaves.

Calendula, marigolds and chicory will help in the fight against the nematode. For some reason, it is also believed that this insect does not tolerate the aroma of parsley, but this is not always confirmed by practice.

Wormwood, tansy, elderberry scare away many flying insects, as if disorienting them. They will be useful in the fight against potato moth, scoop, cicadas.

In order to avoid the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle, onions and garlic are planted between the rows and along the perimeter of the potato bed. A little husk can be added directly to the hole along with the tuber. Or, during the summer, periodically dig cloves and cut heads into the garden. This pest also does not like nasturtium, tansy, marigolds, coriander, thyme, horseradish, peppermint. Phacelia is also useful in the fight against it, at the same time attracting many bees to the site.

The wireworm is most effectively repelled by beans, beans, peas, and other plants from the Legume family, especially if they are planted regularly in the garden. Also, for some reason, he does not tolerate the aroma of dahlias. The latter are also useful in that they oppress the wheatgrass growing nearby.

Well helps in the fight against the larvae of the click beetle and mustard leaf. Cut and buried in the soil during digging, the greens emit specific essential oils with a sharp aroma. It can be planted twice during the year.

The first time mustard is sown at the end of summer or autumn, immediately after harvest. Before frost, it will have time to grow up to 50–70 cm. By spring, the leaves and stems will turn into straw. Without removing it from the garden, potatoes are planted. After the second hilling, the aisles are sown with mustard again. She will not interfere with potatoes, but she will take a place that is usually occupied by weeds.

An alternative option is to sow mustard on a potato bed in March or April. When the time comes to plant potatoes, the greens are cut and planted in a garden bed. The second time the green manure is planted in the aisles towards the end of summer.

Potatoes planted in the garden plot are threatened by many pests that can leave the gardener without a crop at all or without most of it. To avoid this, you need to regularly devote time to simple preventive measures. When the first suspicious signs are found, pest control begins immediately. The use of both folk remedies and modern chemicals has its advantages. The specific method is determined by each gardener individually, depending on the situation.