How to escape from the Colorado potato beetle: how to process potatoes

The Colorado potato beetle is a member of the leaf beetle family. He received the name in 1859 after he devastated a potato plantation in the US state of Colorado. Since then, his journey around the world began. In 1940, the beetle reached the western borders of the USSR. The pest is distinguished by an exorbitant appetite and the ability to adapt to insecticides and herbal remedies.

We will tell you about how to process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle at each stage of the growing season in this article.

Description and characteristics of the Colorado potato beetle

The Colorado potato beetle, or potato leaf beetle (Latin Leptinotarsa ​​decemlineata), belongs to the family of leaf beetles. American entomologist Thomas Sayem discovered the insect in 1824. In 1865, the Swedish explorer Stahl included the beetle in the genus Leptinotarsa, to which it still belongs.

An adult Colorado potato beetle has a body length of 8-12 mm, a width of 6-7 mm. The body is oval, convex. Elytra hard, glossy, yellow-orange with five black stripes on each. The wings are well developed, helping to fly long distances.

The length of the larva is 15–16 mm. The head is black, there are two rows of dark dots on the sides of the body. The color is first dark brown, then bright yellow or pinkish.

Life cycle

Only adults leave for wintering, burrowing 20-50 cm into the ground. In the spring, they rise to the surface and begin to reproduce. Females fertilized before hibernation actively lay orange eggs. During the day, the female lays 5-80 eggs, and during the whole summer - about 1000. The number of generations depends on the climate: in the north - 1, in the south - 2–3.

The larvae emerge from the eggs on days 5-17 and immediately begin to destroy the foliage. After 2-3 weeks, they burrow 10 cm deep into the ground for pupation. The adult appears in 10-20 days, depending on the weather.

The life span of beetles is 1-3 years. The insect can enter a long-term diapause that lasts 2-3 years. This allows him to survive in hungry years and at the same time makes it difficult to fight them.

Reference. In case of danger, the Colorado potato beetle does not fly away, but falls to the ground and pretends to be dead.

Nutrition

The main food of larvae and adults is juicy potato tops. They are very rare on tubers in early spring. Hungry adults - adult beetles - pounce on potatoes only to recuperate before the young shoots appear.

Colorado potato beetle harm

The larvae are the most voracious. Despite the fact that one individual eats no more than 30 mg of plant tissue, mass distribution and the ability to quickly reproduce offspring leads to a loss of more than 40% of the yield.

The most important process of plant metabolism, photosynthesis, takes place in foliage. As a result of the complex transformation of monosaccharides into polysaccharides, starch is formed. The formation of tubers and their taste depend on the quality of photosynthesis.

The peak of activity of the Colorado potato beetle occurs during the flowering period, when the potato bush begins to lay down nutrients in reserve. Damage to greenery leads to a delay in the formation of tubers, the penetration of fungi and viruses through the wounds. The result is the loss of most of the crop without timely intervention.

For humans, the Colorado potato beetle does not pose a danger, however, with a massive distribution, it significantly complicates the agricultural technology of potatoes.

Signs of appearance

Signs of the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle on potato plantings:

• yellow-orange eggs on the back of the leaves;
• dark spots on foliage;
• perforation of leaves;
• dry greens;
• larvae are bright yellow or pink;
• round-oval striped beetles.

Reasons for the appearance

The reasons for the appearance of beetles on the site:

• non-observance of the rules of agricultural technology (crop rotation, weeding, harvesting tops);
• excess nitrogen in the soil;
• untimely start of treatment of bushes (recommended before landing and immediately after germination);
• the use of ineffective drugs;
• the development of resistance to chemicals and herbal infusions in the pest;
• the absence on the territory of our country of natural enemies of the Colorado - the parasitic polyphagous tick Piemotes trititsi and the Perillus bug.

Potato varieties resistant to the Colorado potato beetle

There are no potatoes 100% resistant to the Colorado potato beetle, but the experience gained has allowed scientists to draw some conclusions:

• Larvae and adults are less likely to damage plants with hard, hairy leaves;
• unpleasant (from the point of view of an insect) taste of the foliage scares off the pest;
• the introduction of special genes that form a toxic protein, allows you to scare off the beetle.

List of relatively resistant varieties:

• Bryansk is reliable;
• Glow;
• Kamensky;
• Lasunok;
• Nikulinsky;
• Early morning;
• Pace.

Transgenic varieties:

• Russet Burbank New Leaf;
• Superior New Leaf;
• Atlantic New Leaf;
• Lugovskoy;
• Elizabeth.

Reference. The transgenic varieties were bred with the introduction of the gene of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt genome). Its secretions are poisonous to the Colorado potato beetle.

Control methods

The fight against the Colorado potato beetle is carried out with the help of biological and chemical preparations, herbal infusions and decoctions, wood ash, birch tar, manual collection. All this together gives a result.

Folk remedies

Over the years of struggling with leaf gnawing, gardeners have come up with and tried many ways to get rid of it. Manual collection remains one of the most effective and simple methods for a small area of ​​infection. Beetles and larvae are thrown into a jar of strong salt solution and destroyed away from the garden.

With mass distribution, improvised means are used:

• dusting with birch ash on wet foliage (10 kg per 100 sq. m);
• dusting with corn flour (small particles swell in the stomach of the beetle, causing starvation);
• dusting with plaster or cement (the recommendation is rare, but reviews indicate the effectiveness of the procedure);
• mulching the beds with fresh coniferous sawdust to repel the pest;
• the formation of slides of wood ash under each bush.

Herbal infusions

Numerous reviews of gardeners testify to the destructive property of herbal infusions. Strong-smelling plants are highly effective:

• Add 1 kg of walnut leaves and 1 kg of green fruits to 10 liters of hot water, leave for a week;
• Add 1 kg of dry white acacia bark to 10 liters of water, leave for 3 days;
• Fill 0.5 buckets with a volume of 10 liters with poplar leaves, pour boiling water, leave for 3 days;
• Add 500 g of sunflower flowers to 10 liters of water, leave for 3 days;
• 1.5 kg of celandine to insist 3 days in 10 liters of water;
• Grind 100 g of dry roots of elecampane, pour 5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, process 3 times per season;
• Add 300 g of onion husks to 10 liters of boiling water, leave for 24 hours;
• Infuse 200 g of dandelion and 200 g of horsetail in 10 liters of hot water for 2 days, dilute with water in a 1: 2 ratio;
• Add 300 g of bitter wormwood and 200 g of wood ash to 10 liters of hot water, leave for 3 hours;
• Cook 100 g of dry hot pepper in 10 liters of water for 2 hours, add 35 ml of liquid soap before processing;
• Insist 1 kg of tomato tops in 10 liters of hot water for 4 hours, add 40 g of soap shavings;
• Insist 500 g of dry tobacco roots in 10 liters of water for 2 days, dilute with water 1: 2, mix with 35 ml of liquid soap;
• Add 500 g of tobacco dust to 10 liters of water, leave for 2 days, dilute in a ratio of 1: 2, mix 40 g of shavings of laundry soap;
• Boil 2 kg of yellow bitter in 10 liters of water for 2 hours, cool and mix 35 g of soap shavings;
• Chop 200 g of garlic, pour 10 liters of water, leave for 5 hours, add 40 g of soap shavings;
• fill a bucket of 10 liters with a bug, add 200 g of tobacco powder, pour boiling water over, leave for 3 days;
• Add 300 g of flowering hemp to 10 liters of boiling water, cool, mix in 20 g of shavings of soap.

Processing rules:

• spraying on dry greenery, in contrast to dusting;
• processing with infusions should be carried out in the evening due to the loss of insecticidal properties in the sun;
• add household, tar or cosmetic soap to the liquid for better adhesion of the solution to the leaves;
• store ready-made infusions no longer than 3-4 hours;
• Bury liquid residues and plant waste away from the site;
• it is advisable to alternate herbal infusions and decoctions in order to avoid addiction;
• work in gloves, wash hands with soap after each treatment.

Tar

To get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, birch tar is used. Its basic principle of action is based on a pungent and unpleasant odor, overpowering the natural aroma of potatoes.

Solution recipe:

• 30 ml of birch tar;
• 10 liters of water;
• 30 g of shavings of laundry soap.

The shavings are dissolved in warm water and tar is added. Processing is carried out with a broom or a simple device is made from a plastic bottle with holes in the lid. A spray gun is not suitable for this purpose, since oily particles clog the spray holes.

Spraying the bushes is carried out in the evening after sunset or in cloudy weather to protect the leaves from sunburn. In rainy weather, processing is also undesirable - water will quickly wash off the entire composition from the foliage.

Birch tar is also used for the pre-planting preparation of tubers - soaked in an aqueous solution or added to the hole. Additionally watered with the composition of the beds. Re-processing is carried out after the appearance of sprouts with a height of 10-15 cm. The ground part is abundantly sprayed with the solution. At the beginning of the growing season, when the leaves are still young and tender, the bushes are sprayed once every 4-5 days until the beetle is completely destroyed.

Solutions

Recipes for solutions against the Colorado potato beetle:

• 100 g of laundry soap and 1 liter of ash can for 10 liters of water;
• 250 ml of sunflower oil per 10 liters of water, process three times;
• 50 g of dry mustard and 100 ml of vinegar 9% per 10 liters of water;
• 300 g of soda and 300 g of fresh yeast per 10 liters of water, process the bushes 1-2 times every 7 days;
• 100 g of urea per 10 liters of water.

Chemicals

The table shows insecticides to combat the Colorado potato beetle. They have a different class of toxicity and are used during the growing season.

Biologicals

Biological preparations are completely harmless to humans and do not accumulate in plant tissues. Their action is aimed at inhibiting the digestive function of the pest, as a result of which it dies. Bioinsecticides do not affect egg clutches, therefore, spraying is carried out weekly and at least three times during the growing season.

Other methods of struggle

Gardeners came up with the idea of ​​using their own poison against the Colorado. Beetles are collected in a 0.5 liter jar, poured into a bucket, pour 10 liters of water and cover with a lid. Leave this mixture for a week, then filter and use a poisonous infusion to spray the bushes. The liquid is diluted in a 1: 2 ratio. The concentrated infusion is not used as it can burn the foliage. The treatment is carried out in protective clothing and gloves.

Processing during flowering

It is not recommended to spray potato plantings with insecticides during the active flowering period due to the accumulation of chemicals in the tubers and soil. Experienced farmers are advised to pay attention to biological products, herbal decoctions and infusions, ash, tar, or to collect the pest by hand.

An excellent result is shown by bacterial preparations "Bitoxibacillin", "Fitoverm", "Colorado potato beetle NO!", "Nemabakt".

Pollination with ash and corn flour is carried out every 14 days, and after flowering - once every 30 days.

The infusion of poisonous plants (bedwort, wormwood, celandine, tansy) is used with caution. Alkaloids get into young tubers, reduce their taste or make them completely unusable.

Post-flowering treatment

After the potato bushes have faded, gardeners resume processing from the Colorado. During this period, it is allowed to use both folk remedies and chemicals.

Spraying with insecticides is stopped 20-25 days before the harvest of late varieties.

Prevention measures

Preventive work involves:

• preplant treatment with Prestige treater;
• high hilling of beds (eggs and larvae located on the lower leaves die);
• mulching the beds with black fiber;
• digging the soil after harvesting (the larvae will fall deep into the ground and die);
• treatment of bushes with the preparation "GumatEm universal" (an acidic environment is created on the foliage, which is harmful to insects);
• planting strong-smelling flowers, legumes, onions, garlic;
• regular weeding;
• crop rotation.

Tips & Tricks

Tips from experienced gardeners:

1. Use cans of kerosene or saline traps on the bottom to kill the beetle. Spread the edges of the jar with potato juice to attract the pest.
2. Place tall piles of wood ash under the bushes. So the pest will not be able to get to the juicy greenery.
3. Mulch your beds with straw to make it harder to find food.
4. If you plan to use drugs with a high toxicity class, close the bees in the hives and release them no earlier than after 4 days.
5. Spread orange or lemon peels on the beds. Beetles don't like citrus aromas.
6. Treat foliage at the first sign of damage.
7. Plant aromatic herbs and flowers on the site next to the potatoes: marigolds, calendula, cucumber herb, nasturtium, mattiola, coriander, hemp, scented tobacco.
8. Sow beans, beans, peas, horseradish, onions, garlic between rows.
9. Attract ground beetles, ladybirds, and lacewings to the site.
10. Get guinea fowls, turkeys, guinea fowls, pheasants, chickens. Birds destroy both larvae and adult beetles with lightning speed.
11. Don't be skeptical about manual picking. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways, especially when the beetles have developed resistance to chemicals.

Read also:

What types of dressings are best used when planting potatoes.

Medium early potato "Rodriga" with large pink tubers.

Conclusion

The destruction of the Colorado potato beetle is one of the main tasks of those who grow potatoes on their site. The insect is distinguished by its vitality, quickly adapts to chemicals and herbal remedies, is able to fall into suspended animation and survive in any weather conditions.

An integrated approach to the destruction of the pest includes preventive spraying of tubers before planting, maintaining crop rotation, weeding, processing with herbal infusions and alternating them with chemical and biological agents.