The Colorado potato beetle is a major potato problem. This beetle will completely destroy the plantings if they are not treated. Moreover, this applies not only to adult insects, but also to their larvae. Damaged plants cannot recover and germinate well. The result is losses. Farmers and gardeners have long been trying to find a way to protect themselves from the Colorado potato beetle. And treating potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle before planting is an effective method. Today, there are effective drugs that make growing potatoes before germination less risky.
The Colorado potato beetle is the reason for the decline in yields
The Colorado potato beetle is a voracious insect. Not only worms, but also adult individuals are capable of eating large quantities potato tubers. In principle, these insects eat any plant of the nightshade family. But the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle are most active in eating food.
One larva requires about 80 milligrams of green mass. She eats 750 milligrams in her life.
Throughout the growing season we have to fight this pest. All means are used. But potato seedlings can be protected. To do this, it is necessary to subject the potato tubers that are being planted to treatment. The fact is that adult individuals spend the winter in the ground at a depth of up to 50 centimeters, so nothing prevents them from attacking the seed material.
Potato tuber protection products
To obtain a harvest, farmers will have to treat potato tubers against the Colorado potato beetle. The seeds are treated before they are planted in the ground and it is necessary to wait until they are absorbed into the potatoes. This way the treatment will not be afraid of rain. There are professional means of protection, and there are folk ones.
Industrial professional protection
Treatment of potatoes before planting against the Colorado potato beetle at a high-quality level is carried out using pesticides, which are offered in a wide range by manufacturers. There are foreign high-quality drugs, but the domestic industry produces no less effective products. If you need to check quality, then you cannot find a better tool than consumer reviews.
Note! Domestic and foreign drugs have the same effectiveness. But the cost of the former is much lower.
Below are domestic products that answer the question of how to process potatoes:
- Prestige. Reliable tool. To prepare a working solution you will need 50 milliliters of poison per 3 liters of water. This volume of solution is enough to process 50 kilograms of tubers.
- Maksim. Often used together with Prestige. The peculiarity of the drug is that it protects not only potatoes before planting, but also the soil around them after planting.
- Cruiser. The drug affects not only the Colorado potato beetle, but also potato viral diseases. The protection lasts one and a half months. Processing potatoes by experienced farmers has proven its effectiveness.
- Taboo. The drug affects any insects that live in the soil and can affect potatoes. Potato tubers are protected for a month and a half, and precipitation does not reduce the effect of the drug.
Note! The protective effect can be easily enhanced if the drugs are used in combination.
Traditional methods
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Colorado potato beetle came to Russia. The insect has no enemies among birds, so it feels safe. To save their crops, farmers had to come up with effective measures to combat the pest. People still use some of them in their garden plots.
Folk remedies for processing potatoes are less effective compared to industrial pesticides, however, they are environmentally friendly and harmless to potatoes. Their list:
- Ash. Previously it was used as fertilizer. However, it later turned out that the solution of stove ash protects the tubers. To do this, you need to dilute the ash and water in a ratio of 1 to 10 and dip the tubers in the solution before planting. The ash cannot be sprayed through the sprayer - this is its disadvantage.
- Potassium permanganate. A common remedy among farmers.For 10 liters of water you will need to add 1 gram of potassium permanganate. The result is an effective solution in which you need to dip the tubers seed potatoes or spray and treat generously through a sprayer.
- Boric acid. Some gardeners use it due to the lack of potassium permanganate. You will need 15 grams per 10 liters of water. The tubers are also rinsed or sprayed with a solution through a sprayer.
- Copper sulfate. Also used by dipping tubers. Per liter of water you will need 1 gram of copper sulfate.
Folk substances do not have a negative effect on human health. This means that protective agents do not need to be used when processing tubers. Is it possible to spray with homemade solutions? Yes, but the efficiency is lower.
How to spray potatoes - pesticides or folk remedies? Which is more accessible? For small plantings, it is advisable to use folk remedies.
Safety when using pesticides
Industrial products in the form of pesticides are dangerous not only for the Colorado potato beetle, but also, due to their high concentrations, have a negative impact on human health. Therefore, it is necessary to observe safety precautions when processing tubers:
- Protection of exposed body parts. To do this, you will need to cover all exposed skin with clothing before treatment. You will need gloves, a jacket, a scarf or a mask.
- Etching in an open area. Processing of tubers must be done in a well-ventilated room. Otherwise, the human respiratory system may be damaged. A balcony is suitable for spraying in urban environments. It is easier for village residents in this regard, but the operation must be performed during calm weather. Otherwise, the sprayers should be set to low power.
Note! Before carrying out the treatment, you must study the instructions for use of the drug and act as prescribed. The solution should be prepared exactly according to the instructions.
Tips and rules for processing
For the effectiveness of the event, it is important to know how to spray potatoes correctly. Tubers are processed before planting. To do this, you will need to spread a tarpaulin or cellophane over the surface of the ground or floor on the balcony. In open areas, to avoid exposure to wind, the edges of the underlying material are pressed with stones.
You should not rush to lay out the seed material, as the sprouts can be damaged. Therefore, you do not need to pour it out of bags or boxes, but carefully lay it out by hand. It is necessary to dilute the drug, taking into account the dosage and the appropriate proportion. That is, if for processing potatoes you need 2 times less volume of the finished solution, then when diluting the parts you need to cut both parts by 2. The drug is disposable after dilution and the solution cannot be stored.
If the potatoes were germinated in plastic boxes, then they can be processed there. But this can only be done if the tubers are in one layer. This way the treatment will be most effective through a sprayer. Place film or tarpaulin under the boxes.
Helpers should not be in the processing area. Or in open areas they need to move to a safe distance. It is advisable to stand on the windward side.
To speed up the process, it is advisable to use a special device. An ordinary sprayer will do. A glass cleaner bottle is also suitable for these functions.It is necessary to carry out the work carefully and slowly so that there are no missed tubers. Otherwise, the treatment may not bear fruit. Defenseless potatoes will be eaten by the Colorado potato beetle or its larvae. Planting tubers begins after it dries completely.
Note! Do not handle processed potato tubers with your bare hands. They need to be protected with gloves. They should be thrown away after use.
In the absence of a sprayer, treatment is carried out by dipping the tubers into the solution. The tubers should be kept in the pesticide for no more than 3 seconds. Otherwise, damage may occur.
It takes up to 2 hours to dry the processed seed material. When processing outside the city, the seeds can be packaged in cellophane so that the chemicals do not completely evaporate before arriving at the field.
After drying, the treated potatoes can be planted in the ground without fear, following all the rules of agricultural technology. It is not afraid of the Colorado potato beetle until it sprouts, and then the seed tubers dissolve. Those who processed it correctly will receive healthy shoots.
