potato pests
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<p class="042abstractstekst">The sweet potato weevil (<em>Cylas formicarius</em>, 1798) is one of the most damaging sweet potato pests. To prevent an economic crop loss, it is very important to develop a suitable and efficient integrated pest management strategy. A field experiment was set up with three replications at Jamalpur to select the best integrated management package from eight different treatments against sweet potato weevil. The results showed that the lowest percentage of infestation by number (2.94 %) and mass (3.22 %) was found when the crop was planted on November 01; earthing-up for two times, Carbofuran 5G was sprayed @ 15 kg ha^-1 at 60 days after planting with irrigation and tuber was harvested at 130 days after planting. The marketable yield (23.75 kg) and percent increase of yield than control (50.86 %) performed the highest in the same combination. These findings suggested an effective integration of different management strategies to reduce sweet potato weevil infestation in Bangladesh successfully.</p>

Abstract Abstract.Potato plants are grown well in the highlands and have the potential to grow at different altitudes. One of the challenges in growing potatoes is pest attack during plantations, especially during the vegetative phase. The study aims to determine the attack intensity of potato pests on Atlantic variety at three different altitudes. This study was conducted in the Sembalun District, East Lombok, in three different locations, namely Sajang Village (at ca. 900 m asl), SembalunBumbung Village (at ca.1000 m asl), and SembalunLawang Village (at ca.1200 m asl) from March to June 2021. The plantations were maintained according to the standard maintenance of potato plantation farmers in Sembalun, and data was collected on a two-week basis. The research method used was an experimental method based on a Randomized Block Design (RBD). The sampling of potato plants was done using systematic random sampling. The results showed that the highest attack intensity of pests in the vegetative phase was observed nine weeks after planting, where the plants were suitable for the foliar pest. Altogether, potato plantation in SembalunBumbung had the highest attack intensity than in SembalunLawang and Sajang village. Further research is needed to examine the resistance of several varieties of potato in different altitudes and different seasons to attack the intensity of pests.

More than 10 kinds of the basic pests have been revealed in the territory of various soil-climatic zones of the Republic. Among them are adventive kinds –the Colorado potato beetle, the whitefly and the potato moth. Biological features of kinds and seasonal dynamics of their development are established; the general tactic of protective methods with application of progressive means and receptions is developed. Precautionary receptions of potato tubers’ protection against potato moth are established and recommended.

The potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella Zeller is one of the most damaging potato pests in the world and is difficult to control as the larvae feed only inside potatoes. Evaluating the effects of performance of P. operculella on different potato varieties may help to facilitate the development of effective pest management practices. In our study, P. operculella reared on potato variety Lishu6 showed strong performance and on Qingshu 9 exhibited the poorest performance, while P. operculella fed on Hezuo 88 and Yunshu 304 performed moderately. Firstly, larval performance of P. operculella fed on Lishu 6 with that on Hezuo 88, Yunshu 304, and Qingshu 9 was compared by using an age-stage two-sex life table. Compared with larvae fed on Lishu 6, those fed on Qingshu 9 exhibited significantly lower survival, with only 5.56% developing to the adult stage. Secondly, the pupal weight experiment showed that the pupae weight of P. operculella feeding on Lishu 6 tubers (0.0123 g) was significantly heavier than that those feeding on Qingshu 9 (0.0102 g) (p < 0.001). Thirdly, female oviposition and larvae feeding preference indicated that females oviposited on Lishu 6 in preference to Qingshu 9 (p < 0.05, p < 0.001). Overall, this study demonstrated that Qingshu 9 is the least suitable host, and planting this variety over a large scale can provide a basis for the next step of P. operculella control.

Abstract B. cockerelli is one of the most destructive potato pests in the western hemisphere. It was recognized in the early 1900s that B. cockerelli had the potential to be an invasive and harmful insect, particularly in western United States and Mexico (Šulc, 1909; Crawford, 1914; Compere, 1915; 1916; Essig, 1917). By the 1920s and 1930s, B. cockerelli had become a serious and destructive pest of potatoes in most of the southwestern United States, giving rise to the description of a new disease that became known as 'psyllid yellows' (Richards, 1928; 1931; 1933; Binkley, 1929; Richards and Blood, 1933; List and Daniels, 1934; Pletsch, 1947; Wallis, 1955). In recent years, other solanaceous crops, including tomato, pepper, eggplant, tobacco and tamarillo in a number of geographic areas have suffered extensive economic losses associated with B. cockerelli outbreaks (Trumble, 2008, 2009; Munyaneza et al., 2007a, b; 2008; 2009a, b, c, d; Liefting et al., 2008; 2009; Secor et al., 2009; Espinoza, 2010; Munyaneza, 2010; Crosslin et al., 2010; Rehman et al., 2010; Crosslin et al., 2012a, b; Munyaneza, 2012). Despite being a native of North America, B. cockerelli is also found in Central America and has recently invaded New Zealand, where it has caused extensive damage to indoor and outdoor solanaceous crops (Teulon et al., 2009; Thomas et al., 2011). B. cockerelli has recently been placed on the list of quarantine pest in EPPO region (EPPO, 2012).

The potato tuber moth PTM, Phthorimaea operculella, is one of the most economically important potato pests worldwide. In the present study, the potential of Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema carpocapsae for controlling PTM in potato tubers was evaluated compared to alpha-cypermethrin. Steinernema carpocapsae in both concentrations (12.6&times;106IJs and 6.2&times;106IJs) showed a lower number of emerged insects than alpha-cypermethrin (10 mg ai l-1). Alpha-cypermethrin (20 mg ai l-1) showed the highest efficacy against PTM (81.17%), S.carpocapsae (12.6&times;106IJs), and alpha-cypermethrin (10 mg ai l-1) showed similar efficacy (72.53%) while S. feltiae (6.2&times;106IJs) showed the lowest efficacy (39.04%). The results showed that S.carpocapsae in both concentrations and S. feltiae (12.6&times;106IJs) were efficient the same as alpha-cypermethrin (10 mg ai l-1) having no environmental and health adverse impacts issued in the chemical insecticides usage. Both concentrations of alpha-cypermethrin and S. carpocapsae showed the least tuber damage with no significant differences, while it was as high as the control (59.26%) in both concentrations of S. feltiae. This promising finding introduces EPNs as a part of the potato tuber protection program in storage. Accordingly, EPNs can be considered as an appropriate alternative to synthetic chemicals for PTM control without any residue and health problems.

Dickeya dianthicola (Samson) is an important pathogen causing blackleg disease of potato. Previous work suggested that insects might vector Pectobacteriaceae between plants, but no conclusive work has confirmed this. Green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer) and Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) are aggressive potato pests and related to known vectors of several species of bacteria other than D. dianthicola. This study sought to determine if these insects vector D. dianthicola for potato infection. Neither insect species showed olfactory discrimination based on the presence of infection in laboratory tests, but beetles were repelled by uninfected foliage treated with 2,3-butanediol, a primary Dickeya metabolite. Beetle recruitment to plants was not affected by their infection status; however, aphids preferred uninfected foliage when conspecifics were present. In the laboratory, neither insect acquired or transmitted D. dianthicola through feeding. In the field, neither insect’s abundance was significantly correlated with disease spread. Overall, this study did not find indications that D. dianthicola is vectored by the tested insect species. Therefore, efforts to limit Dickeya spread should focus on sanitation, water management, and seed screening – not on the control of these insect species.

Abstract The sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius Fab.) is one of the most damaging sweet potato pests. To prevent an economic crop loss, it is very important to develop a suitable and efficient integrated pest management strategy. A field experiment was set up with three replications at Jamalpur to select the best-integrated management package from eight different treatments against sweet potato weevil. The result showed that the lowest percentage of infestation by number (2.94%) and weight (3.22%) was found when the crop was planted on November 01; earthing-up for two times, Carbofuran 5G was sprayed @ 15 kg/ha at 60 days after sowing with irrigation and tuber was harvested at 130 days after planting. The marketable yield (23.75 kg) and percent increase of yield than control (50.86%) performed highest in the same combination. These findings suggested an effective integration of different management strategies to reduce sweet potato weevil infestation in Bangladesh successfully.

Laboratory experiments were performed to test Orius majusculus and Orius laevigatus suitability for potato protection. The adult bugs released on potato plants infested with Myzus persicae can normally survive, mature, and reproduce. In the absence of prey, the bugs can survive for about a week. And though addition of flower pollen increased survival, insect fecundity remained low. Only feeding by Sitotroga cerealella eggs added to potato plants provided for sustainable fecundity of Orius females laying up to 200 eggs during the lifetime. Thus, O. majusculus can be applied for biological control of aphids on seed potatoes in greenhouses and the grain moth eggs can be used as an additional food for the bugs.

Abstract This study was conducted at the Oregon State University Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Umatilla County, OR, during the 2016 and 2017 potato, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), growing seasons. The objective was to determine the vertical distribution of hemipteran (Bactericera cockerelli Šulc, Circulifer tenellus Baker, Myzus persicae Sulzer, Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas, and Lygus spp.) and thysanopteran (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande and Thrips tabaci Lindeman) potato pests using insect towers placed near potato fields. Towers were 8 m tall and secured to the ground with metal cables. In each tower, yellow sticky cards were mounted at 1.5 m intervals up to 7.6 m aboveground. Data were collected at 7-d intervals from mid-April until mid or end of August. This study showed that B. cockerelli, C. tenellus, M. persicae, Lygus spp., and both species of thrips were captured on sticky cards placed closest to the ground; in both years, as sticky card height increased, abundances decreased. In contrast, trapped M. euphorbiae numbers were not affected by sticky card height. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the lower Columbia Basin of Oregon that evaluated the vertical distribution of major potato pests.