Potatoesâ¦ - Bayer CropScience

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Colorado potato beetle and aphids – threatening, but manageable A threat to potato crops throughout the world: the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) Along with leaf diseases, pests represent a serious risk for potato growers around the world: they can reduce tuber quality significantly, and, at worst, they can destroy entire harvests – that is, if they aren’t stopped in time. The danger can be managed through preventative measures and with the aid of effective Bayer products such as Biscaya ® and Proteus ® . 22 COURIER 1/08
From yield reduction to total yield loss – pests such as the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and aphids (e.g. Myzus persicae, Aulacorthum solani, Macrosiphum euphorbiae), cicadas, thrips, nematodes and potato moths are endemic – and threatening – in almost all of the traditional areas of potato cultivation. The Colorado potato beetle and its larvae, with their almost insatiable appetites, can eat continuously and are capable of laying waste to entire fields. In contrast, aphids do not cause damage directly through their feeding, but rather as so-called vectors of viruses which they can transfer every time they probe a plant with their proboscis. In Europe alone, 20 virus types are recognised – the potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), potato virus Y (PVY) and X (PVX) are the most important economically. The symptoms of virus infection range from leaf deformation and necroses through to growth suppression and damage to the tuber. Producers of seed potatoes must be especially careful to prevent infection: seed potatoes that carry viruses cannot be certified for selling or sowing. Safeguarding the harvest is essential “The potato is an expensive crop. Intensive cultivation in Central Europe involves the grower investing up to 3,000 Euro per hectare“, says Bayer CropScience expert Dr. Hartwig Dauck (Global Insecticides Manager for potato). This sum covers the costs for machinery, energy, work, soil, seed, crop protection and fertilizing. He continues: “If you want to avoid putting this considerable investment at risk, you have to keep an eye on pest insects right from the start.“ Preventative measures are urgently recommended, although their influence on infection levels is limited. The virus threat can be reduced by growing resistant varieties in areas that are relatively free of vectors, and long-term rotations can also reduce the risk. But seasonal weather is beyond the farmer’s control – if it is favourable for the pests, then they will be present in the field in larger numbers. This is why it is essential to take steps to safeguard yield and quality by applying the right tools at the right time. Consider damage thresholds Damage thresholds are important considerations in deciding on exactly the right time to intervene: they indicate which level of infestation can be tolerated from an economic point of view. Applying Potato aphid (Macrosiphum solanifolii) An overview of product strengths: Biscaya ® : • Highly systemic insecticide with long-term efficacy • Active against sucking and biting insects • Pests living within the plant are effectively controlled • O-TEQ-formulation: rapid uptake, increased rainfastness • Can also be used at higher temperatures • Favourable profile towards the environment and beneficials – safe for bees Proteus ® : • Combination of active substances with both systemic properties and contact activity; more rapid knock-down effect, but also longterm activity • Broad-spectrum activity against sucking and biting insects (including the potato moth) • O-TEQ-formulation: rapid uptake, increased rainfastness control measures only makes sense if the yield losses the pest is expected to cause exceed the costs of protecting the yield against the pest. Damage thresholds vary from country to country – they also depend on how the potatoes are to be used after harvest. “In the United Kingdom, the first aphid-control treatment in food and starch potatoes is recommended as soon as the aphid count reaches three to five per leaf. If the number of aphids caught in traps rises rapidly, reflecting a strong increase in the population, it’s a first warning signal“, says Dr. Dauck. “But seed potato growers must take action as soon as the first aphid is seen, otherwise they risk the virus-free status – and thus the certification – of their crop“. Depending on the region and local climatic conditions, food potatoes need up to four sprays and seed potatoes as many as twelve sprays to cover the entire cultivation period. There are also strict requirements with regard to the Colorado potato beetle: in the Netherlands for example – where farmers are actually legally obliged to control the pest – treatment must start as soon as the first larva has been found. 1/08 COURIER 23
Page 1 and 2: COURIER The Bayer CropScience Magaz
Page 3 and 4: World potato production 1991-2007 (
Page 5 and 6: Potato production by region 2007 Po
Page 7 and 8: virus-free seed potatoes will also
Page 9 and 10: Sabine Sulzer, Product Manager for
Page 11 and 12: Some tips for preparing potatoes
Page 13 and 14: phase, representatives from across
Page 15 and 16: For more than a century, the Nether
Page 17 and 18: This is Agrico Agrico is a co-opera
Page 19 and 20: “Phytophthora infestans will cont
Page 21: New combination of active substance
Page 25 and 26: Moreover, Biscaya benefits from inn
Page 27 and 28: as far back as 7,000 years ago, whe
Page 29 and 30: Starch - an impressively versatile
Page 31 and 32: Compostable plates and saucers Toys

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Potatoesâ¦ - Bayer CropScience