When and what to spray and process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle

Many gardeners are planting potatoes, which has long been one of the staple foods. It is not difficult to grow it, but the overseas guests of the “Colorado” who are able to destroy all the landings in a short time become an obstacle on the way to a big harvest. Therefore, the processing of potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle should be carried out regularly and carefully, ranging from the preparation of planting material to harvesting.

Colorado potato beetle and its food

Wintering underground, colorado beetles they begin to appear on the surface with warming up to + 10-14ºС, which occurs in central Russia in late April and early May. After that, adult females actively lay on young, just sprouted potato sprouts, laying eggs.

The main food for the "Colorado" is potato tops, which are eaten in large quantities by both larvae and adult beetles. Their development from eggs begins in the period when buds and flowers appear on the bushes; it is at such a moment that the untreated potatoes are planted that they are most vulnerable and suffer from an invasion of pests.

If at such a time nothing is done, then the Colorado beetles are able to eat almost 80% of the green mass of bushes, which would entail a strong decrease in crop yield.

On a note!

The danger of the Colorado potato beetle lies in its extraordinary gluttony and high reproduction rate. During the spring-summer season, one female can lay up to 500 eggs, from which red fast-growing larvae feed on exclusively young potato leaves and flowers.

When to sprinkle potatoes?

Spraying Potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle

If processing is planned by various pest control products, it is necessary to know what and when to spray potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle. The optimal time is selected based on the type of vegetable:

• It is better to sprinkle early potatoes when the first eggs laid by females appear, then repeatedly - in 10-14 days;
• medium and late varieties are sprayed with a large number of larvae and adult pests.

The optimal spraying time is dry and windless weather, with high humidity the poisons will become less concentrated, which will reduce their effectiveness. In hot weather, treatment is hazardous to health due to strong toxic chemical fumes.

It is also necessary to know the time when it is better to process potato bushes: these are morning hours before 9-10 and evening hours after 18, but it is also necessary to ensure that there is no dew or raindrops on the leaves.

In the period of mass flowering sprinkle potatoes It is not recommended, because during the formation of tubers, the plant is vulnerable to chemicals, and toxic drugs can destroy not only harmful, but also beneficial insect pollinators. Therefore, it is better to postpone processing until the end of flowering.

If the manual assembly of the Colorado beetles at this time does not bring success, then you can use biological products that will bring less harm to the crop and help protect the bushes from harmful insects.

Important!

Processing chemicals can be carried out no less than 2-3 weeks before the start of harvesting potatoes, otherwise the resulting tubers will be harmful to health.

Ways to fight with the Colorado potato beetle

When choosing a means or method than to process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle, it is necessary to take into account the degree of destruction of the bushes by larvae or adult insects, the vegetative period of development of the bush, the presence of flowers and the amount of time left before harvesting.

In case of small damage by pests of flowers and tops, it is recommended to use manual harvesting of beetles and other folk methods, with mass reproduction, one cannot do without chemicals.

On a note!

Potatoes can be eaten after chemical insecticide treatment only after at least 20 days. During this period, toxic substances break down into harmless chemical compounds, and grown tubers become suitable for human consumption.

Folk methods of potato protection

Folk methods of potato protection

Many gardeners try do not use chemicals, and use only herbal infusions or decoctions, which are treated with bushes. They must be cooked immediately before spraying the potatoes, and always repeat the procedure, since they do not act on eggs and larvae.

Popular methods and recipes against the Colorado potato beetle:

• dusting tubers with birch wood ash powder during planting;
• Decoction of horsetail and dandelion, which are taken in equal parts, pour water and bring the mixture to a boil, then you need to cool, drain and before splashing, dilute in the ratio of 500 g of broth per bucket of water;
• a solution of dry plants of celandine: they are put in a bucket, then water is poured and heated to boiling, then the broth is cooled, filtered and added to a 0.5 l bucket for spraying;
• an infusion of 200 g of wood sifted ash and 200 g of fresh crushed wormwood is prepared with the addition of boiling water, infuse for 3 hours, mix well and filter, then spray the plants with them;
• wood ash, well sifted, can also be applied in a dry form, regularly sprinkling potato bushes, which helps to get rid of the Colorado potato beetles within a week;
• A decoction of 3 kg of tomato tops per 10 liters of heated water is prepared by boiling it for 30 minutes, then it is drawn, filtered and diluted at a rate of 1: 5 with the addition of 40 g of rubbed soap;
• a solution of 100 g of dry mustard in a bucket of water, then add 100 g of 9% vinegar, then you need to sprinkle it on the bushes of potatoes.

Biological products

Biological preparations for potato processing

Biological preparations for the processing of potatoes are safe for the soil and destroy only striped pests. Their active ingredients do not harm when released into the air, water and young tubers.

Popular biological products:

• Bitobaxibacillin or Bicol is available in the form of a powder or tablets containing spore-crystalline ingredients and exotoxin.The maximum number of treatments per summer is 4 times. Before spraying, a solution is prepared at the rate of 40-100 g per bucket of water. The drug contains bacteria spores that enter the intestines of larvae and beetles and begin to develop, paralyzing the nervous system and causing mutations in adults, and they also infect their fellows. Beetles that have emerged from poisoned larvae are not able to multiply.
• Fitoverm - refers to bioactive drugs that paralyze insects after being ingested into their bodies, which occurs 8-10 hours after the processing of potatoes. The death of larvae and adults occurs after 3-6 days. The disadvantage of it is the absence of damage to the egg-laying, due to which it is necessary to re-spraying after the next generation. The minimum air temperature during processing: + 18ºС.
• Agravertin is a bioinsecticidal preparation containing avertin N, acting similarly to Fitoverm, the only difference is that it is possible to process potato tops at a lower air temperature - from + 12ºС. It also protects against thrips, spider mites and other pests.Spraying should be carried out every 2 days at least 3 times.

Processing chemicals

Insecticidal agents to combat the Colorado potato beetle

Insecticides are rightly considered the most effective in fight against colorado potato beetle, because in their composition are potent poisons. Therefore, when choosing what to spray potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle, it is recommended to focus on proven and highly effective drugs.

Most popular chemical insecticides:

• Colorado - insect fungicide, contains neonicotinoid Imidacloprid, which does not depend on washing off by rain, since it penetrates into the green parts of plants and poisons pests after they eat the tops of the tops. It has a protective effect and stimulates the growth of plants, acts for 2-4 weeks. Recommended for repeated spraying from the Colorado potato beetle, but no later than 20 days before the harvest begins.
• Aktara - an insecticidal preparation, is available in several forms (suspension, granules, tablets, powder), which can be processed after planting when shoots appear and before the start of flowering of potato bushes, it has a destructive effect for several hours.
• Destroy is a system-contact agent containing imidacloprid, lambdacygalothrin, it is recommended to use for the northern regions, since it retains its properties at low temperatures.
• Killer - includes insecticidal components cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, which allow you to quickly destroy the larvae and beetles in one spray.
• Konfidor Extra - refers to the systemic insecticidal preparations of the last generation, which have almost no effect on the roots.
• Euphoria - an insecticide, whose components (thiamethoxam, lambdacygalothrin, etc.) not only destroy pests, but also feed plants with the content of vitamins, it is recommended to apply every 14 days.
• As well as Bankol, Sempai, Detsis, Karate, Regent and etc.

Important!

In order to spray the potato tops correctly, when preparing the active solution of each preparation, you should be guided by the enclosed instruction, it is impossible to exceed the insecticidal dosage due to its likely negative effect on the plant. During processing, wear protective clothing, respirator, gloves, goggles.Wash your face, hands, clothes and shoes after spraying.

Protection of potato tubers before planting

Protection of potato tubers before planting

In recent years, new potent drugs have appeared that are not used during the mass attack of the Colorado beetles, but when planting tubers. The uniqueness of these products is that poisonous substances penetrate only into potato tops, which, if eaten, are used by larvae and adult pests to poison and die.

The duration of the action of such funds is 45-50 days, during which the potato bushes have time to grow well, safely survive the period of flowering and the formation of young tubers. Then caring owners can already decide what measures to apply for the further destruction of adult Colorado potato beetles on potatoes, taking into account the processing time and the approaching harvest.

Benefits of pre-treatment:

• increase the yield of bushes;
• the ability to protect plants from insect pests and diseases for a long time;
• reducing the number of sprays;
• improving the quality of tubers and promoting good crop preservation.

Means are used in several ways:

• processing from the sprayer planting material laid out on the film, and then drying;
• soaking nets with tubers in the prepared solution, following the instructions for this preparation, then drying and planting;
• spraying the preparation of holes or furrows with spreading tubers.

These drugs include:

• Prestige, Chameleon - insecticides for spraying planting tubers, suitable for medium early and medium late varieties, applied directly by spraying potatoes before planting them in the ground;
• Taboo, Cruiser - used for dressing potato tubers of early varieties, the prepared solution can be processed decomposed planting material or add it to the holes or furrows with potatoes.

To save potato bushes from the Colorado potato beetles and get a good harvest, it is necessary to use all sorts of methods and means of struggle, ranging from preplant treatment and ending with the destruction of numerous pests on adult bushes. The choice between popular recipes and chemicals depends on the degree of damage to the plantings in the garden,as well as the capabilities and wishes of the host.