Aphids that haunt plants, how to deal with it. Description of potato pests, treatment and control of them Aphids on potatoes how to deal

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 harvest potatoes, 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 inspected for the presence of characteristic symptoms, at the first suspicious signs, take appropriate measures.

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 "grandfather" 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 sticky 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 filamentous 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. So the best prevention- compliance with 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°С, it is obligatory low humidity air and good ventilation. 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. Give a good effect and homemade traps- 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 it is recommended to cut 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 - 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 allegedly 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 2–3% Metaphos solution (25 ml/l). 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 for more low temperatures, up to 12°С.
• 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, poured into 10 liters 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 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, previously 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 filtered solution.
• Pine needles. In principle, branches of any coniferous plants. 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 proximity of plants on garden plot may be successful or unsuccessful. certain flowers and herbs, most often with a sharp, strong smell, have the ability to repel some 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 embedded in the soil during digging, the greens highlight specific essential oils with a strong 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. There are advantages to using and folk remedies, and modern chemicals. The specific method is determined by each gardener individually, depending on the situation.

Aphids are a family of sucking insects that feed on plant sap. About 4 thousand species of these insects are known. They live in all parts of the world. One of the most common species is the potato aphid. Despite the name, the insect feeds not only on potatoes, it also damages others. vegetable crops- tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin.

potato aphid

Appearance of the pest

The potato aphid (Aulacorthum solani) belongs to the order Hemiptera. Representatives of this group are distinguished by incomplete transformation during reproduction. small insects 3-3.5 mm long live large colonies capable of causing significant damage to plants. Among them there are winged and wingless individuals. Winged aphids appear in the summer, such individuals are necessary to populate a new territory. They have varying degrees pigmentation. There are individuals with a brown color of the head and tips of the antennae, in other insects the entire front of the body is dark. Various forms of the pest are present on potatoes at the same time.

Information. Together with potatoes, the pest was introduced into different countries and regions. In Russia, it is found everywhere up to the Arctic Circle.

Wingless females have an elongated body, the color is green with a glossy sheen. They ensure the reproduction of the species. The birth of offspring occurs through parthenogenesis. This method is much more productive than sexual reproduction. Each female is able to give up to 15 generations. In favorable greenhouse conditions, the reproductive cycle continues throughout the year.

Information. Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction that does not require fertilization of the female. The eggs develop on their own into an embryo.

Signs of damage to potato aphids

The oral apparatus of aphids is adapted for piercing tissues and sucking plant sap. As a result, damaged leaves dry, the crop lags behind in growth, and yields decrease. The beginning of the pest invasion goes unnoticed. They hide under the leaves, but as the colony grows, they move to the top of the shoots. Potato aphids not only cause deformation of leaves and flowers, but are carriers of viral diseases.

Attention. The main signs of the appearance of pests: spotting and twisting of leaves, the appearance of ants near plants.

After absorbing the nutrient juices, the insect leaves a sugary secretion. They are called pad or honeydew. This sweet life remains on plants, attracting other insects and creating favorable environment for the development of fungi. Ants are constant companions of aphids, their symbiosis contributes to the spread of diseases. Insects that protect aphids and feed on honeydew are also carriers of infections and viruses.

Interesting fact. At low temperatures up to +10 0, the life of a virgin female is 60 days. An increase in temperature accelerates the growth of the insect, but shortens the life cycle.

Potato aphids are especially dangerous in greenhouses. Winged individuals allow you to quickly create several lesions. Are under threat different cultures- eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers. The leaves of the plants turn yellow and are covered with honeydew. The fruits are deformed, may fall off. They lose their marketable appearance, become covered with insect scales and soot fungus that appears on sweet honeydew.

Aphid control methods

The full range of pest control measures can be divided into several into several ways:

biological methods

Aphids on potato tops have natural enemies. They cannot completely destroy the pest population, but control its numbers. The most famous aphid exterminator is the ladybug. The beetle actively destroys them from spring to late autumn. Another ally in the fight against aphids is the lacewing. The larvae of this insect eat up to 100 individuals per day. Hoverfly larvae also destroy pests.

Advice. To attract a ladybug to the site, you need to plant umbrella plants, such as dill.

Chemicals

With a significant spread of potato aphids, the use of chemicals cannot be dispensed with.

Exist a large assortment insecticides that can be sprayed on potato tops to kill small pests.

Aktara is a systemic drug that destroys insects, but is safe for humans. AT closed ground The toxic effect lasts up to two months. the active substance Aktara causes paralysis and death a large number pests. The drug is localized in the leaves and shoots - aphids feeding places. The death of insects occurs in a day.

Actellik is an organophosphate insecticide. It works when sucking pests enter the intestines. The product has fumigant properties and a long-lasting effect. The period of protective action is 1-2 weeks. The death of insects is observed after a few hours.

Confidor is a proven effective drug against aphids and other pests. The agent quickly dissolves in water, it is resistant to precipitation and watering. After spraying, it remains active for a month.

Folk recipes

Safe pest control offers folk recipes. Their ingredients are eco-friendly products. There are several effective tips:

1. Treat the potato bushes with a soap solution (100 g per 10 liters of water). Alkaline environment is detrimental to aphids.
2. Infusion of onion peel - 200 g of the product pour 2 liters of boiling water and leave for 2-3 days. The husk can be replaced with garlic cloves.
3. Tobacco infusion - the smell of the plant repels many pests. The concentrate is prepared from 500 g of tobacco per 1 liter of water. The composition is boiled for an hour. Before processing, dilute in 10 liters of water.

Preventive measures

Wingless virgins hide in greenhouse weeds for the winter. To get rid of the pest, it is recommended to follow a set of rules:

• isolate potato planting areas from places where aphids overwinter;
• timely destruction of weeds and utilization of potato tops in the fall;
• planting seeds in a greenhouse should be postponed to an earlier date;
• it is necessary to destroy not only aphids, but also ants that contribute to its spread.

The number and diseases of potatoes is proportional to its popularity. Everyone has had to contemplate different kind damage to root crops and receive significant losses due to them in the crop. So who eats, how to deal with malware and continue to prevent their attacks - read about this later in the article.

Colorado beetle

They are very hardy and adapt to different climatic conditions and pesticides, with which the garden is treated several times from year to year. In addition, these insects in search of food can travel considerable distances, endure severe frosts and accumulate in the ground in the same area.

At a depth of half a meter, where beetles hibernate, in the cold season, very comfortable conditions. Snow cover does not allow freezing, retaining heat, and does not freeze to that level.
Therefore, when the earth begins to warm up in spring, insects wake up and rise up. With the onset of heat and the first shoots of potato plantings, the beetles begin the breeding season.

You can see yellowish clutches of eggs on inside foliage, of which a short time small slippery pink larvae will appear.

Did you know? The female Colorado potato beetle lays about 400 eggs daily.

This procedure is done in order to provide the planting material with good strong seedlings.

In the future, as the potato stems grow, it becomes more difficult to deal with, since these insects have several periods of calm, which are real both in winter and in summer. Some adults can spend about three years in the ground. To maintain yields, small plot owners have to hand-pick new generations of harmful beetles.

For those who are afraid to use pesticides, a biological agent such as Boverin is commercially available. With minor pest attacks, you can use.

Almost all recipes are available to every homeowner and are completely harmless. Some of them offer to process a potato bed.

Others advise preparing a spray solution from, the smell of which is very unpleasant for the insects mentioned. Based on such beliefs, try planting this medicinal crop between the rows of potatoes.

It is also worth giving preference to such treatments: "Glow", "Temp", "Dilor", "Marshal", "Colorado", "Sumicidin", "Tsimbush", "Volaton", "Novador".

Important! Timely weeding, loosening the earth and hilling potato shoots help to reduce the population of Colorado potato beetles and other harmful insects.

These unsightly moths with dirty gray spotted wings, like the Colorado beetles, migrated to our latitudes from America. Despite their adaptability to a warm climate, today the globe there is practically no place left where it would not live potato moth.
Adult butterflies live only a few days, having time to give three generations during this period. In closed warehouses and in agricultural areas, the breeding of butterflies is uncontrolled, since these places are inaccessible to predators that feed on these insects.

The peculiarity of these insect pests is that their distribution zone is limited by a decrease in temperature in winter time down to 4 degrees below zero.

And if the mole does not know how to winter on the street, then gardeners help in this, transferring the larvae in potato tubers to storage in the cellar. There, the caterpillars develop comfortably until spring and again fall into the ground with planting material.

The reason for this lies in the severely damaged leaf fibers, the passages made in them, which the moth clogs with its excrement.

As a result, the quality and quantity of the crop is greatly reduced, the infected tubers are unsuitable for consumption and sale, and the surviving bushes are very weakened.

Important! You can protect potatoes from moths by giving preference early varieties, which ripen before the activity of caterpillars and butterflies.

Many pesticides have been developed for preventive measures, as well as for the control of these potato pests.

On large potato plots, biological preparations are effective: "Entobacterin", "Dendrobacillin", developed on the basis of Bacillus thuringiensis.
Methyl bromide has also proven itself well, which is recommended to spray the harvested crop. Don't forget about competent landing and comprehensive care behind the plants. First of all, healthy tubers are deepened as much as possible when planting, and weed regularly and. It also doesn't hurt to warm up. planting material up to 40 degrees. Such manipulation will not affect germination, but eliminate the larvae. Some landowners in the fight against potato moth get by with special traps, but this method is effective only in small beds with a slight infection. As a preventive measure, try spraying the planting with a solution at the rate of 45 g per 5 liters of water.

Did you know? To stop the invasion of moths on the world, quarantine has been introduced in many countries. For example, in Ukraine there is a ban on bringing potatoes to the territory of the state by private traders. In Australia, where the spread of harmful butterflies has reached its peak, each imported tuber is cooked and disinfected with insecticides. African farmers have learned to use local wasps to control insects.

Among the pests that are dangerous for potatoes, it is not inferior to the leading position. In the people, the insect is often called the "mole-cricket", which is explained by its ability to quickly move underground, while making specific sounds.

The pest likes to feed on potato tubers, gnawing large holes in them, which affects the seedlings and crop yield. In addition, the pest does not tolerate shadows over its housing; for this, it often destroys the entire bush. In beds with a large population, the bear can completely ruin the crop.
Comprehensive measures are needed to preserve the fruits. start them experienced gardeners advise with a well-chosen neighborhood for potatoes. The insect doesn't like it. Therefore, it is they who need to be planted in the aisles and along the perimeter of the site.

Further, the invasion of the bear will stop eggshell drenched in oil. During its eating, the respiratory tract of the pest will be blocked by a layer of oil, as a result of which it will die. You can also prepare a special bait from equal parts pre-cooked millet, corn and barley, treated with 25 g of Metaphos. AT total the grain mixture should weigh half a kilogram.

A teaspoon of sunflower oil is added to it and laid out near the holes a week before the tubers are planted. Such a mixture should be scattered between the rows during the emergence of seedlings.
As an alternative, traps made from glass jars deepened into the soil are suitable. Some gardeners fill them halfway with beer.

In autumn, the pest is lured into small pits filled with manure. For the winter, the bear is in a hurry to hide in the warmth, therefore, with the onset of stable cold weather, the contents of the recesses are spread throughout the garden, exposing the larvae to certain death.

Important! Medvedka fears the land fertilized with chicken manure. To do this, it is enough to pour a section of any perimeter once with a diluted concentrate of 2 kg of manure and 10 liters of water (before use, the mixture is diluted with water at a rate of 1: 5).

The insect does not like wet soil, so it will not be able to live in a 20 cm layer of mulch. You can also expel it with the help of onion peel tincture, which is watered in the garden after rain. By the way, this method is also effective in the fight against other potato pests.
Among chemical methods give a temporary result granules "Medvetoksa". They are laid out along the perimeter of sowing in furrows and watered abundantly.

If you see dense-bodied yellow-brown larvae up to 2.5 cm long in your area, immediately start protecting the potatoes from. Otherwise, they will ruin the entire garden, turning it into a loose sponge.
Some mistakenly think that these are worms, ignoring their appearance. In fact, such larvae are produced by click beetles and in the course of their life they feed on the tubers, roots and stems of the plant. In the future, the formed passages are affected by infections and begin to rot.

The fight against wireworm on potatoes often occurs by chemical or agrotechnical methods. The desired result is possible when spraying the fields with insecticides, but it is worth noting that such methods can oversaturate the feed with toxic substances.

As a result, they will keep well, but will be unsuitable for both pests and people. Based on these beliefs, many farmers resort to folk techniques to preserve their crops.

Important! Discomfort for click beetles and their larvae can be created by liming acidic soils.

In places where the wireworm hibernates, unfavorable conditions are created. In particular, they dig up a garden bed at the end of October, pulling out harmful larvae from the comfort zone. Careful loosening is also recommended at the beginning to destroy the eggs of the nutcracker. Ultraviolet radiation has a destructive effect on them.
Of particular importance in the struggle is the presence of couch grass in the garden. First of all, the plant pierces through the tubers, preventing it from developing. And secondly, is the wireworm's favorite food. Therefore, in the garden this works as a bait.

Sevosmena is important not only for the amount of the crop, but also for the expulsion of harmful insects. In cases with potato pests such as wireworm, planting after root crops will be ideal. Moreover, such a solution will feed the soil.

They feed on tubers and root tissues. Depending on their location, root and stem diseases are distinguished.
These frightening worms are almost impossible to breed, since the life span of cysts deposited by the female is measured in decades.

You can cultivate potatoes for years without even knowing you have a disease.

It manifests itself by yellowing of the lower foliage, withering of the stems, a significant lag in development and the absence of an ovary. Minor contamination of the territory without special analyzes of the soil is invisible.

Only during the collection of fruits on the roots of the affected bushes are small grains clearly visible - these are cysts.

They have the ability of high-speed movement, infect the earth with their presence, so a lump with a shovel can transfer nematodes to a new place.

Potato root nematode manifests itself only on fruits grayish spots with metallic sheen. The skin sometimes exfoliates on them and the destroyed core is clearly visible. Moreover, during the growing season, it is almost impossible to distinguish a diseased bush from a healthy one.

Did you know? In France, potatoes took root thanks to the agronomist Antoine-Auguste Parmentier, who was forced to resort to psychological tricks in order to locals interested in its root crops. During the day, he carefully guarded his fields with the help of mercenaries, and at night there was not a soul there. The whole district was torn apart by curiosity, what is it that a respected person in the village protects, thereby inducing theft.

Their farmers dig up infected foci and burn or scald the soil with boiling water. All inventory and work shoes are carefully treated with formalin.

Potato stem nematode occurs due to infection of the roots. To avoid this, it is important to monitor the quality seed material, and in the fall, organize the remaining tops and deep plowing of the garden. Infected specimens are burned along with the tops, and the rest of the root crops are scrupulously washed from the ground. Even after the measures taken, it is undesirable to further exploit the site for planting potatoes.

It will be possible to carry out such plans only in three years, subject to the preliminary cultivation of legumes or crops in this place.

It is also good to fertilize potato fields, apply before planting on infected areas. For preventive purposes, you can choose more resistant varieties for planting.

These are Platinum, Zhukovsky early, Sappho and Almaz. Their peculiarity is in specific substances that are produced in the root system, depriving the nematodes of the opportunity to eat. Regarding chemical methods of dealing with these pests, manufacturers offer a wide range of products. Trust has earned the drug "Nematicide", which is applied to the soil a few weeks before planting.

Did you know? In order to get poisoned by potatoes, it is enough to eat one green berry or a kilogram of raw green root crops, in which large quantities contains solanine.

Scoops are small butterflies with gray-yellow wings with a purple tint and dark stripes. Their caterpillars, in search of food, devour potato tubers and tops, making through passages in the tissues.

It is they who eventually become covered with mucus and become centers for the development of putrefactive microorganisms. Outwardly, the infected bush looks emaciated, its leaves are withered, the stems are deformed, sometimes dry.

Control methods depend on the stage of development of the insect. For example, adult potato cutworms are difficult to remove from fields by chemical means, since they are nocturnal.
They are caught using cut plastic bottles with diluted nectar or spoiled jam. You can use alternative commercial tapes with a sticky backing. There should be no weeds in the garden, especially those that have entered the flowering phase, and cereals.

Such insects will avoid a well-fertilized area with nitrogen-containing substances. To do this, it is enough to dilute chicken manure and water the beds with it.

For those who want to save on pesticides, farmers offer a folk method of fighting scoops, which consists in preparing a decoction of 1 kg per 3 liters. The bushes are watered with liquid several times before budding with an interval of 1-2 weeks.

Important! Spraying potatoes with chemicals is recommended no more than twice during the season. Otherwise, root crops will suffer.

Slugs

Perhaps these pests are the most unpleasant. And it's not just about their appearance. Naked eat leaves, leaving behind sticky slippery marks, and eat away the core in root crops.

To prevent these uninvited guests in the garden, regularly weed and loosen the soil. In doing so, you destroy the eggs and comfortable conditions for their laying.

It does not hurt to protect the planted area with a shallow groove and pour lime powder, wood ash, and pepper into it. Such a barrier is beyond the power of slugs. Under the bushes on which you noticed traces of the vital activity of the mentioned pests, you need to scatter. After an hour, repeat the procedure, because the pest, wanting to protect itself from irritation after contact with the chemical, releases great amount mucus.

As an alternative, try bombarding the enemy (literally) with Meta, Thunderstorm.

For those owners who strive to grow an environmentally friendly product, folk ways suggest destroying slugs with water heated to 40 degrees. The thermal effect is also possible with inter-row spacing with polyethylene film. But these methods are only suitable if you have only 2-3 rows of potatoes planted.

Did you know? The first crop grown in space was the potato. This event was recorded in 1995.

The appearance of aphids on potatoes does not depend on the specifics of the soil or on the cultivation conditions. These pests do not cause much harm to the plant, but are dangerous because they are carriers of various infections and pathogens.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the bushes that aphids have chosen soon begin to hurt. In addition, the insect has a bad effect on the planting material of root crops.

Potato fields are most often affected by peach, common, large potato and buckthorn aphids. In a year they produce up to 15 generations. Their colonies are visible on the inside of the leaves. For the destruction of winged individuals, the drug "" is very effective. For the purpose of preventive measures, farmers carefully remove the remains of tops and fruits after harvesting, eliminate weeds in time and strive to plant tubers as soon as possible.

Probably everyone knows the traces that the larvae leave behind. The omnivore mercilessly spoils the tubers, eating deep cavities in them. Before him is the task to stock up on energy for a long period of pupation.

In order not to share the harvest with these creatures, carefully dig the bed late autumn and in spring, loosen the soil between the rows of emerging shoots.

All this spoils the conditions for the development of beetles. But for the final result, it is not enough to limit ourselves to such procedures. In the cold season, the larvae can hide from frost much deeper than the bayonet of a shovel reaches. Even a plow will not reach a depth of half a meter.

Therefore, it would be appropriate to next year in place of potatoes, sow lupine perennial grass. Its roots have a toxic effect on the larvae of the grubs, and over time, food leads to their death.

Did you know? Potato chips were created by accident by American chef George Crum in 1853. It happened because of the capricious client of the restaurant, who complained about the too thick french fries. In retaliation, the culinary specialist cut the root crop so thinly that the plates shone through.

In addition to agrotechnical subtleties, you can resort to folk methods fight against harmful insects. Among them, watering the bushes with a manganese solution (prepared in a proportion of 5 g per 1 liter).

Useful service on your site will be provided by starlings that feed on May beetles. To attract them, it is enough to hang the feeders.
Chemical treatments are performed with registered insecticides. Among them are Aktara, Decis, Sherpa, Arrivo. So that the beetles do not spoil the planting material and do not interfere with the full development of the sprouts, treat the tubers before planting with the Prestige preparation.

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Good afternoon!

Potatoes have long and firmly entered our diet and settled in the plots. It is not difficult to grow it, but a lot of the crop can be lost due to pests. In this article, we will consider the main potato pests with photographs and a detailed description.

Potato pests with photos and descriptions

Colorado beetles

Well known to many, striped beetles. The main color of chitin can be from yellow to yellow-brown with longitudinal dark stripes. Adult insects and their larvae are the most dangerous pests for planting potatoes. Pests that have appeared on the site can halve the crop of tubers.

The greatest harm from colorados of all stages of development is caused during flowering and tuber formation.

"Folk ways" of dealing with Colorado potato beetles:

• collection and destruction of insects of all ages from eggs to adult beetles;
• spraying plantings with infusions or decoctions of tansy, celandine or basil;
• mixed planting of potatoes and plants that repel pests with their smell. Most often it is legumes or coriander.

From chemicals most often they use the means of Taboo, Spark, Aktara or Commander. The main disadvantage of these preparations is that they must be used at least 20 days before harvest.

A good result is also given by biological products - Fitoverm or Agravertin. Their waiting period before harvesting is only 5-7 days. In addition, they are effective against pests of all ages.

wireworms

Hard as a wire, the larvae of the click beetle grow up to 3 cm in length. They live in the soil, they especially love the thickets of wheatgrass, where they feed on the underground parts of this weed. The larva does not deny itself the pleasure of eating potato tubers. The fight against this pest in a potato field begins with the fight against wheatgrass.

A tuber damaged by a wireworm is affected by rot pathogens, nematodes and various viruses.

To protect potato plantings from wireworms, you must:

• use fertilizers containing ammonia for feeding;
• reduce excessive acidity of the soil by adding lime to the soil;
• constantly loosen the soil and fight weeds;
• treat tubers before planting with insecticidal preparations of plant or chemical origin.

Taboo provides protection for potato bushes from pests for up to 45 days.

By appearance the pest looks like aphids or fleas. They use plant cell sap as food. The insect pierces the outer shell of the leaf and drinks the contents of the tissue. In this place, damage is formed, the tissue around which dies off, the leaf surface actively creating chlorophyll is reduced and the roots receive less nutrients.

Through damage in the outer shell, viruses, bacteria, spores of harmful fungi penetrate into the leaf. As they move from one plant to another, leafhoppers spread pathogens. infectious diseases, in particular, stolbur.

In the fight against this pest good results show preparations such as Taboo, Cruiser and Karate Zeon. With their help, you can not only protect the tubers before planting, but also destroy pests in areas adjacent to the potato bed.

These pests are found in potato crops all over the world. Adult bugs, growing up to 3 mm, damage the tops of potatoes, and six-legged larvae reproduce and live on the roots and in potato tubers. Thanks to their efforts, more than half of the harvest of the second bread can be lost.

The spread of the pest is facilitated by elevated air temperatures during low humidity and planting potatoes at a later date.

You can understand that fleas have settled on potatoes by dry spots and depressions on the surface of the leaves.

Flea control measures:

1. Taboo drug used every 10 days.
2. sticky traps for adult insects;
3. in small, private areas, treatment of plantings with chamomile infusion or a mixture of wood ash and tobacco dust can help.

Potato nematodes

Microscopic worms, which you cannot see without magnifying devices. With the naked eye, only traces of the presence are visible, similar to millet grains, which cover the roots of a diseased plant.

Potato bushes affected by this pest grow more slowly, the lower leaves turn yellow on them, and the tubers may not start.

Control measures:

• planting pest-resistant varieties;
• correct crop rotation, including sowing green manure that cleans the soil from pests - legumes, corn, perennial grasses;
• return of potatoes to their original place no earlier than after 4 years;
• soil treatment from a pest with carbamide, thiazon or heterophos.

Another widespread potato pest. The greatest harm is caused by its larvae, which live in the soil for 4 years, and if in the first two years the harm from them is minimal, then in last years their life of larvae in the soil, they cause significant damage to potato plantings.

Departure may beetles occurs at the end of April - beginning of May. The females begin to lay eggs, which will hatch into larvae after a few weeks. At this time, there is no harm from them, there is even a small benefit, because. they can only feed on organic residues, enriching the soil with the products of their vital activity.

As the larva grows, its food habits change and they switch to growing roots and tubers. In the fourth year of life, in the spring, an adult beetle will fly out of the larvae.

Beetle control methods:

collection and destruction of larvae;

1. arrangement of night traps for adult beetles;
2. covering the soil surface with mulching material, sawdust or straw;
3. loosening the soil in spring;
4. attraction of birds that destroy beetles and their larvae;
5. the introduction of nitrogen into the soil, repelling insects;
6. the use of chemical and biological preparations;
7. watering small areas with a pale solution of potassium permanganate or infusion of onion peel.

Medvedka

By damage horticultural crops approaches the three or four year old larva of the Maybug.

Signs of the presence of a bear on the site:

1. noticeable small round holes in the beds;
2. the bear leaves underground passages visible on the surface of the soil;
3. plants damaged by a bear quickly wither and fall;

Fighting methods:

• after harvesting, in the fall, pits are arranged in the beds - traps. They dig holes, fill them with horse manure and cover the holes with earth. With the onset of frost, manure from the hole is scattered over the site, the bears wintering in manure will freeze;
• deep digging of the soil in autumn;
• scare away the bear with pungent odors - coniferous, onion, garlic or rotten fish;
• set traps from fermented drinks or beer;
• chemicals: Prestige, Thunder, Medvetoks;
• set up poison traps: boil thick porridge and mix it with an odorless pesticide or mask the smell with odorous vegetable oil;
• timely harvest.

Helps in pest control. Weed removal and other preventive measures. It is better to prevent the breeding of harmful insects than to fight them. Now we know them “by sight” - potato pests with photographs and full description. Also get to know

I wish you a healthy harvest!

Sincerely, Sofia Guseva.

A significant decrease in the yield of potatoes occurs due to damage to the plant by insect pests.

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

Description of the insect

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 stalks from the bush. Especially voracious larvae - orange-red, with a black head and black stripes on the sides. During the period of growing up, a colony of several dozen "kids" 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

• Triple treatment 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 up the tubers.
• Spraying with preparations of fungal or bacterial origin (Fitoverm, Agrovertin, Boverin, etc.). These agents are especially effective against young larvae. Action biological agents goes on the rise and is maximally manifested on the 5-7th day. Plantations should be treated 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 crop:

1. manual collection of adult beetles and larvae, as well as the destruction of eggs;
2. spraying bushes with strong infusions of basil, mint, tansy, blackcurrant 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 crops repelling female beetles: coriander, beans, bush beans;
4. planting a few home-grown bushes before the main seeding of the plantation to concentrate a large number of larvae on older plants. This method will make it easy to collect pests and enter the main bushes without loss in the stage of tuberization.

Wireworms are called larvae that have a cylindrical 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. Root crops affected by wireworms become more susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections.

In the fight against wireworms, the following are important:

• deep plowing or digging of the soil in spring and autumn. Since the larvae, once in the upper layers of the soil, die in winter;
• destruction of weeds;
• 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, the procedure is repeated with a new portion of root crops;
• the use of insecticides, such as Hurricane Forte BP, FORS.

Description