Why do potato tops curl? – this is not an idle question. Some gardeners do not pay attention to changes in leaf shape. In the first year, the loss of yield from one or two bushes is unnoticeable.
But in the third year, the gardener notices with surprise: the leaves of the potatoes are curling in all plantings. The bushes are depressed, flowering does not occur. Spraying with stimulants is of no benefit.
When harvesting potatoes, the gardener will face trouble: the tubers are small. Analysis shows a lack of starch (up to 5%). The consistency of boiled potatoes resembles soap. The taste is not bright. There is only one thing left: to feed the tubers to the cattle (whoever has them).
All troubles can be avoided. It is enough to pay attention to the curly leaves of the plant and take action in time. The disease is suppressed at the very beginning. No spread occurs. Potato tops reflects the state of the culture, shows the ability to form and grow tubers.
Causes of curliness
Changes in leaf shape are a symptom of several diseases. All of them weaken plants and reduce productivity. Gardeners have a responsibility to recognize the signs in the early stages and take action.
Leaves on potatoes become curly for various reasons:
- Sometimes a vegetable lacks proper care. The soil is depleted in minerals (phosphorus and potassium). Nitrogen (manure or compost) does not solve soil fertility problems. Its hydration is weak. Lighting is insufficient. The plant responds by stopping development. The leaf curls, fades, and photosynthesis stops. Tubers do not form on potatoes. Its yield drops by 50%.
- Gardeners often plant large areas of their favorite crops. They do not have time to clear the area of weeds. Herbicides are used. Potatoes are a vulnerable plant. The leaves curl when exposed to the drug. The bush is oppressed and stops developing. The chemical is carried by the wind from neighboring plots and farmers' fields. But this is not a disease. Infection of surrounding plants does not occur. It does not require treatment. It is enough to remove the affected bush and be careful when using herbicides.
- Mosaic disease causes leaf curl. The plate curls and the edges become wavy. The disease is easy to recognize: only young leaves curl, change shape. The old ones are not damaged. Because of mosaics, gardeners lose 50–70% potato harvest.
- Rolling potato leaves - viral disease.The leaves of the plant become curled due to infestation by aphids and bedbugs. They are carriers of the virus. Heat and insufficient watering increase curling of the tops. The bushes stretch out, the color becomes brown. Symptoms: the tops change shape, the potatoes begin to rustle with leaves. With this disease, old plates curl along a horizontal vein. The virus accumulates in the underground part of the plant. Seemingly healthy tubers serve as carriers of the virus. The disease leads to a loss of 60% of the crop.
- Rhizoctonia (black scab) makes the tops curly. It is caused by fungi. Spores enter the soil with contaminated material. In summer, the leaves first become wavy. Then ulcers appear on all parts of the plant. The core turns to dust. Tubers are deprived of nutrients. Gardeners cannot wait for the harvest: it is reduced by 30%. Healthy-looking small root vegetables are infected with fungal spores. With further use, the disease will spread throughout the garden.
All causes of potato curling need to be studied. At the first manifestations, you need to start fighting. Viral diseases that begin with leaf curling take several years to develop. In the third year (if measures are not taken), the harvest is lost by 80%. At the initial stage it is not difficult to win.
Methods for saving potatoes
Gardeners must know: what methods will help prevent crop loss? The tops begin to curl: the disease has already begun. The potatoes are weakened and will produce few tubers. It should be carefully dug up and burned. Fill the well with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The danger of leaf curling is that it is not noticed at first. The damage from damage to one or two bushes is insignificant, which cannot be said about the situation in the third year. The ridges with plantings are entirely curly. The stems are brittle, the leaves are dry, brown or light green.The process of photosynthesis is inhibited. The harvest is gone.
The gardener tries to cultivate the field with all available means (folk and purchased). But time is running out. There is no treatment for potato leaf curl. The spread of viral infections should be stopped using preventive methods.
How should I proceed?
Measures to combat potato curl are based on knowledge of the signs of the disease, the observation of the gardener and careful adherence to cultivation techniques. You should follow the recommendations of breeders:
- Choose only high-quality planting material from reputable manufacturers. When using your own seeds, you should select medium-sized tubers: they are more resistant to viruses.
- It is not recommended to cut the tubers into pieces: the infection will penetrate inside. If there is a lack of planting material, it is necessary to disinfect the knife and hands with alcohol, vodka or a strong solution of potassium permanganate (dark pink). The cut areas must be dried, smeared with brilliant green or sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.
- Before planting, it is necessary to discard tubers with broken sprouts. The virus will penetrate through the damage.
- Choose varieties and hybrids resistant to mosaic viruses. Breeders recommend planting the following varieties in problem regions: Lyubimets, Romano, Irbitsky, Slavyanka.
- Properly store seed material. Avoid getting wet or freezing. Before planting, it is recommended to green the tubers (a measure to repel mice).
- Maintain crop rotation. Planting potatoes after potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants is prohibited. It will be affected by the pathogenic flora accumulated in the soil.
- Conduct greening of the soil before planting potatoes.The event takes place in autumn or spring. Legumes saturate the soil with nitrogen. Cereals improve your health and get rid of wireworms.
- Monitor soil acidity. It should be within the pH range of 5.0–5.5. The change weakens the plants. The bushes become vulnerable.
- Be sure to hill up the plants: young root crops should be at a depth of 5–10 cm.
- Fight garden ants. They settle aphids, which carry viruses from diseased plants.
- Monitor soil fertility. Apply mineral fertilizers (the industry produces special complexes for potatoes).
- Remove weeds regularly. They shade the potatoes and weaken the plants. Aphids, a carrier of infection, nest on them.
Bushes with curly leaves should be immediately dug up and removed from the beds. They serve as a source of infection and are dangerous for other plantings. Armed with simple preventative measures, gardeners will receive a guaranteed potato harvest.
Use of chemicals
Gardeners should consider vulnerability young potato sprouts to diseases. The use of chemicals at this stage of development is justified.
The drug "Prestige" contains the active substances pencycuron and imidacloprid. They are toxic to humans, but are cleared from the tubers after 2 months. Gardeners note: potato plantings did not curl when the tubers were treated before planting. You should know: the product is not suitable for early and mid-early potatoes.
The main carrier of mosaic viruses is aphids. The "Gardener's Green Pharmacy" helps fight against it. The series has several insecticides for spraying potato seedlings. A folk remedy made from an infusion of garlic (a medium head per glass of water) diluted in 10 liters of water gives good results.Spray the plantings in the evening.
In April, gardeners treat the plot with the drug “Muracid”. It protects the territory from garden ants - carriers of aphids. The pests leave for the season. Potato plantings are protected from viral diseases.
Weeds are a haven for sucking insects. Their absence is a guarantee of protection against potato mosaics. It is recommended to use herbicides, but with caution. Chemicals of this group also affect cultivated plants.
Preventive measures and compliance with growing rules will help protect potato plantings from leaf curl and get a good harvest.
