Content
Potatoes have always been the second bread. This tasty and healthy vegetable is present on the table of almost every person, and the dishes that can be prepared from it are difficult to count.
It grows in almost every garden plot. Therefore, it is so important that the efforts that gardeners make to grow a second bread pay off with good harvests. Potatoes, like any garden crop, have their own diseases and pests. But the scale of harm that can be caused to plants from the family of the nightshade beetle, which came from the state of Colorado, is simply impressive.
Colorado potato beetle harm
The harm that the Colorado potato beetle inflicts on plants from the nightshade family is obvious.
- The leaf mass of plants decreases, which also leads to a decrease in yield.
- Plants are stressed, which also does not improve the conditions for their development.
- The vegetation of the bushes eaten by the beetle ends ahead of time, this leads to a shortage of harvest.
- Moving through the plants, the larvae of the beetle contribute to the spread of late blight, and the wounds on various parts of the potato bushes are the gateway for infection.
How to deal with a leaf-eating pest
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A ruthless pest must be fought. You can collect the larvae by hand. Of course, this method is completely safe in terms of ecology, but very laborious. The collection of beetles will have to be carried out daily, but this is not a guarantee of the complete destruction of the pest. The beetle can fly long distances, so it will appear again and again. There are many popular ways to combat a malicious pest. But often they are ineffective, the treatments have to be repeated.
Beetle chemicals
When the beetle infestation is large, and even more so if a lot of potatoes are planted, you will have to resort to using chemicals.
Means for protecting crops from insect pests are called insecticides. There are a lot of such preparations based on various active substances. Most often, their spectrum of action is quite wide.
One of these drugs is an effective remedy for the Colorado potato beetle On the spot. This tool copes well not only with him, but also with many other pests of garden crops.
The drug On the spot
As part of Napoval, there are 2 active ingredients at once:
- Alpha cypermethrin. In a liter of suspension its content is 100 g. A substance from the group of permethroids, synthesized by analogy with a natural insecticide based on the pyrethrum plant, familiar to many chamomile. It affects the nervous system of cold-blooded animals and the Colorado potato beetle, including by destroying cell membranes, which causes paralysis of the pest's nervous system. The drug acts on contact with it and if it enters the intestines of an insect. Half of the drug decomposes into harmless substances in 69 days.
- Imidocloprid. A liter of suspension contains 300 g. This substance belongs to the class of synthetic neonicotinoids and also acts on the nervous system of cold-blooded animals, disrupting the conduction of nerve impulses. Fatal in contact with any part of the insect.The effectiveness of the substance is very high, only about 10% of the individuals remain alive. Penetrating into the tissue of potatoes, imidocloprid, due to chemical reactions, passes into chloronicotinic acid, it is an antidepressant for potatoes. Therefore, it has a double effect: in addition to suppressing the Colorado potato beetle, it also heals potato bushes, increasing their yield.
Mechanism of action
Imidacloprid is able to penetrate into the tissues of potato plants. Moving through the vessels, it quickly penetrates the leaves, making them poisonous for both beetle larvae and adults. This effect lasts for about 3 weeks. All this time, potato plants remain a poison for beetles of any age. And even stray individuals will not be able to damage plants. The effect of the drug will be noticeable within a few hours. And in a couple of days it will reach its peak. Pests of any age are affected. It will work on the spot for almost another month The frequency of treatments is 2, but at least 3 weeks should pass before digging out the potatoes. Weather conditions do not affect the effectiveness of the drug.
Mode of application
The instruction attached to the preparation recommends diluting 3 ml or one ampoule of Napoval in water. Its maximum amount is 9 liters, when there are few pests. The minimum is 6 liters with a high degree of infestation by larvae and beetles. After thorough mixing, the solution is poured into a sprayer and the potato plantings are treated, trying to wet all the leaves.
This amount of solution is enough to process a plot of two hundred parts. Advice! It is better to carry out the processing when there is no wind and rain, then the drug will not be washed off with water, and the wind will not interfere with completely wetting all the potato leaves.
Drug toxicity and safety measures
On the spot it has a 3rd class of danger, for humans it is moderately dangerous, but all animals can be severely affected by its action, therefore, it is strictly forbidden to carry out treatments near water bodies or pour out the remains of the solution there so as not to damage fish and other aquatic inhabitants. But the drug is very toxic to bees. For them, it has the first - the highest hazard class.
Potatoes cannot be processed during flowering.
There is information that poisoning of pets may occur upon contact with the drug.
You can go to the treated area for manual work no earlier than 10 days, mechanical work can be started earlier, after 4 days.
Processing should be carried out in special clothing, gloves and a respirator must be worn.
Benefits
- Developed recently.
- Does not possess phytotoxicity.
- Has high efficiency.
- Thanks to the two active ingredients, the Colorado potato beetle does not get used to the drug.
- Moderately dangerous for all warm-blooded animals and humans.
- The range of pests on which it acts is very wide.
- There are no weather restrictions for use.
- Relieves stress in plants, increasing their productivity.
- Small consumption rate.
- Low price.
Planting potatoes needs protection from such a dangerous pest as the Colorado potato beetle. The drug On the spot is able to help well in this.
