The eternal obsessive headache of summer residents is pests, the invasion of which is much easier to avoid than to correct the consequences of a violent feast of insects in the garden. This goal is pursued by the processing of potatoes before planting. It will relieve constant concern for the health of plants and the safety of the future crop, and will also increase its size.
Seed selection
Preparation of potato tubers for planting consists of several sequential procedures. It begins with a careful selection of seeds. The main requirement here is health, although the shape and size of the potatoes also matter. It is convenient to sort tubers on the table. Potatoes that are rotten and affected by diseases of a fungal or bacterial nature are immediately discarded. They should not come into contact with healthy tubers. The infection may be latent. To reveal it, the selected seed is heated (at 14-18°C). If the potatoes have been infected, they will show signs of disease by the time they are planted and will be easy to sort.
Outwardly healthy tubers are checked for yield. They are dipped into a solution of urea. Prepare it by stirring 1.5 kg of the substance in 10 liters of water. Suitable for planting tubers are dense and heavy, they will sink to the bottom. The unripe ones will float to the surface. The same fate will befall sick potatoes.
When selecting tubers, pay attention to their size. A good result is the planting of medium potatoes (weighing 50-80 g). But there are no strict restrictions here. A high yield can also be obtained using smaller tubers weighing from 30 g, or larger tubers weighing more than 100 g. If the potatoes are very different in size, they are laid out in 3 piles. The tubers sorted by size are planted on different beds. So you can achieve a uniform emergence of seedlings: the period of germination of potatoes is largely determined by their size. In the future, bushes of the same height will be easier to care for.
Gardening or sprouting?
Preparing potatoes for planting is usually done in one of the following ways:
- through its landscaping;
- germination method.
Each of the methods has its own merits. With landscaping it is better to hurry up. Spend it in the fall, digging up the crop. The potatoes selected for planting are laid out in 2-3 layers in a bright, well-ventilated place. Direct rays of the sun should not fall on them. After 10 days, the tubers are harvested in containers in which they will be stored until spring.
In the light, solanine is actively formed in potatoes - a toxic substance that performs the function of a natural fungicide and insecticide. In addition to protecting against diseases and pests, it is involved in the processes of wound healing, accelerating them. Greening seed tubers helps to retain moisture in them, which is necessary for potato sprouts at the beginning of their development. They cannot get it from the soil due to an underdeveloped root system. If it was not possible to green the tubers in the fall, this can be done in the spring by combining the procedure with germination.
Most summer residents prefer to plant potatoes with real sprouts. It sprouts faster, which develops better and ultimately brings a rich harvest. It will not be possible to avoid such preparation if the soil on the site is heavy, containing a lot of clay or peat.
Germination rules
Germination of potatoes before planting is carried out in a warm room with high humidity air. Under such conditions, seed tubers laid out in a thin layer in boxes usually keep 3-4 weeks. Periodically (every 7-10 days) they are turned over. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the sprouts. Thirsting the tubers, they are again examined, culling out the weak and infected with diseases.
Important for awakening the kidneys temperature regime. In the daytime, potatoes should be kept warm (12-18°C). At night, it is desirable to lower the temperature to 6°C. Long sprouts break easily when planted. To avoid their stretching, the seed in the first week is kept in a room where the air is warmed up to 20-22 ° C. Further germination of tubers is carried out in coolness - at a temperature of about 7-8 ° C.
The humidity in the room should be 85-95%. To successfully germinate seed potatoes, it is periodically sprayed clean water. The tubers will be ready for planting in 20-25 days. Potatoes with powerful sprouts are placed on the beds, reaching a length of 1 cm and having rudiments of roots in their lower part.
Before planting, the tubers are again sorted out. Those who are unsuitable for her are:
- have only 1 sprout;
- did not give sprouts;
- formed weak filamentous sprouts.
Experienced summer residents practice sprouting potatoes before planting in a greenhouse. It is easiest to provide tubers in it optimum temperature and air humidity.
If it is not possible to germinate planting material in the light, it is heated. It requires a dark room and a constant temperature in the range of 18-20°C. This technique reduces the preparation time for potatoes to 8-10 days. Since warming up results quickly, it is advisable to start it shortly before the planned landing. If the tubers lie in warmth and darkness for longer than the recommended period, the sprouts will be long and fragile. In most varieties of potatoes, their breaking causes a significant decrease in the yield of the bush. Separate varieties of culture after it may not rise at all.
It is better to plant tubers with dormant buds than to germinate them and then damage them. If it was not possible to avoid stretching the sprouts, they are not cut off. Carefully removing the potatoes from the box, they are placed in a hole or furrow and carefully sprinkled with soil. The first sprouts have increased vitality.
Disinfection
Pathogens can be found on the surface of tubers dangerous diseases. To prevent infection of plants, potatoes intended for planting are treated with biological fungicides.
The timing of the procedure depends on the drug:
- "Planriz" is used 7 days before placing the tubers in the ground;
- "Albit" - 24 hours before landing;
- "Fitosporin", "Baksis", "Arilin" - right in front of her;
- "Binoram" and "Agat-25K" are used twice: before planting and 5 days before it.
widely practiced and folk methods disinfection planting material- ash, copper sulfate, potassium permanganate. They are simple, gentle and effective. For processing seed potatoes blue vitriol(1 tsp) dissolved in water (3 l). The resulting mixture can be sprayed on the tubers, but the result will be better if they are immersed in it for a short time (maximum 2 minutes). The potatoes extracted from the solution are dried and left for 2-3 days. Then they can be further treated with a growth stimulator. This preparation will protect future harvest from the wireworm. Click beetle larvae do not like blue vitriol. If there are a lot of wireworms in the place of the proposed planting of potatoes, you can water the area with a solution in the fall or scatter the substance over the soil surface.
It is impossible to prepare a solution of copper sulfate in metal containers. It is recommended to use glass, wooden or enamelware. You can do without it by digging a hole in the area and covering it with a strong film.
A disinfecting solution of potassium permanganate is made at the rate of 1 g of the substance per 1 liter of water. The tubers are placed in it for 30 minutes. You can add copper sulfate (10 g) to this amount of potassium permanganate and boric acid(20 g). They are thoroughly stirred in 10 liters of water. After keeping the seed tubers in the resulting composition for half an hour, they are dried and planted in the ground. Potassium permanganate is also effective for tillage. To destroy the wireworm, before planting the hole under the potato, water it with a solution (3-4 g per 10 liters of water). But this method is suitable only for neutral and alkaline soils. If the soil in the area is acidic, an excess of manganese, along with getting rid of the wireworm, can lead to plant burns.
In this case, it is better to treat the tubers and soil with ash. It will also serve as a fertilizer for potatoes. Having prepared a nutrient solution from it (1 kg of substance per 1 bucket of water), seed tubers are immersed in it. You can do this without removing them from the grid. There is another way - after slightly wetting the potatoes, roll them in fertilizer. Plant them right away. Ash scares away the wireworm. It is introduced into the soil in the fall, before the autumn digging. You can also do this at planting by adding fertilizer to each hole. Some summer residents protect plants from wireworms all summer, periodically scattering ash near the plantations and loosening the soil.
Pest prevention
To avoid the invasion of voracious insects and minimize damage to the crop, processing potatoes before planting from the Colorado potato beetle will help. It is carried out with special fungicide preparations. The following means are popular with summer residents.
- "Matador Grand". It protects potatoes from wireworms, beetles, whiteflies, aphids, fleas, moths, cicadas, late blight, peronosporosis, rhizoctoniosis and a number of other diseases. The processing of tubers is carried out by them "on the tables". Having laid them out in 1 layer, they are sprayed with a solution of the drug. After drying, the potatoes are turned over and the second side is processed. The solution is prepared at the rate of 30 ml of the drug per 200 ml of water. When the potatoes are completely dry, they can be planted;
- "Prestige" (100 ml) in combination with "Maxim" (70 ml). 100 potatoes are treated with this dosage.
Both methods are not suitable for protection early varieties culture. They have a long-term effect, remaining in tubers for up to 60-70 days and making them undesirable to eat. It is better to treat early ripe varieties of potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle with Taboo preparations (it will also help get rid of wireworms and aphids), Cruiser or the like. Their action is limited to 45 days.
There are several ways to protect the crop from the wireworm with the Taboo preparation:
- spray them with tubers "on the tables";
- cultivate the soil - the bottom of the planting hole or furrow. For 1 weave spend 1-2 liters of fungicide solution.
There are many chemical compounds, the use of which on seed tubers will not be afraid of the wireworm: Prestige, Commander, Nuprid 600, Pikus, Imidor. They have a complex protective effect, increasing the immunity of plants and protecting the future crop from fungal diseases and a whole range of pests: false wireworms, bears, aphids, beetles, scoops.
Growth promotion and nutrition
Shoots will appear faster, and potato bushes will be more powerful and lush if the tubers are treated with a growth stimulator. Do this 1-2 days before they are placed in the ground. Most often, to activate the germination of eyes on tubers, gardeners use the drug "Poteitin". Having dissolved it in 1 liter of water, they spray potatoes with it. The product is used economically: 1 ampoule is enough to process 60 kg of planting material. The drug strengthens the immunity of plants, makes them more resistant to changes weather conditions, increases productivity.
Popular and other means:
- "Mikon", which contains many microelements important for the culture;
- "Epin", which doubles the yield of potatoes, improves its keeping quality and accelerates its ripening by 2 weeks;
- "Bioglobin", causing active cell division and an increase in the root system of the bush.
You can treat the seed tubers with a nutrient composition. For its preparation, use "Nitrophoska" or "Mortar". 1 tsp of the drug is mixed in 3 liters of water. By the time of placement in the ground, the tubers are treated 3 times, repeating spraying every 10 days.
The question of how to prepare potatoes for planting is one of the most important in crop farming. Proper processing of seed tubers will save energy in the fight for the safety of the crop and increase its size. You can execute it different ways, based on personal preferences and opportunities, crop growing conditions, the amount of time left before planting, the availability of certain drugs on the farm. You can use all known agricultural practices or limit yourself to a few of them.
Every person who has a summer cottage or a small garden near the house tends to plant potatoes. People have been growing this garden crop for a long time, you can even say that potatoes are the second bread. It is almost impossible to do without it: we cook first courses, we love to fry potatoes, bake and make mashed potatoes. Growing this garden crop on your own is not so difficult, it is only important to correctly approach the issue of combating the Colorado potato beetle, which harms potatoes, and at the same time harms neighboring crops.
Fighting a beetle is not easy. What you just don’t have to do to reduce the number of these pests in your summer cottage. As soon as potato sprouts are born, Colorado potato beetles immediately attack them. If you let everything take its course, then in a week there will be nothing left of the potato, the beetles eat all the green stems, depriving the plants of nutrients and full development. In addition, Colorado potato beetles often carry diseases from one plant to another. So, if the potato does not die from the attack of the Colorado potato beetles, then it may die due to diseases.
Some summer residents, without starting a pest control, simply abandoned their summer cottages, believing that precious time is more expensive than the effort spent on growing homemade potatoes. And what about those who stubbornly continue to look for ways to fight the Colorado potato beetle? Hoping only for good luck and not giving up, because there is still no such magic drug that will defeat the beetle, and leave the potatoes whole, and ensure a good harvest.
Processing potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle
The Colorado potato beetle got its name for a reason. At the end of the century before last, in the state of Colorado, unknown striped beetles attacked a local potato field. They completely destroyed all the potato fields in the area. People have not been able to save plants from pests. The harvest was lost. Since that time, the fight against this small, outwardly attractive, but very formidable pest has begun.
The Colorado potato beetle is native to northeastern Mexico. According to scientists, these little pests gradually conquered America, moving at a speed of 200 km per year. Thus, gradually, the beetles attacked most of the world, causing more and more damage to potatoes and other plants every year.
It is noteworthy that the beetles eat the upper succulent sprouts and leaves, and not only in potatoes, they also fell in love with other garden crops: eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and nightshade. In addition to the fact that pests eat a lot, they also multiply quickly.
The simplest and effective method pest control - picking the beetle by hand. As summer residents say, all methods are good in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle. It is worth starting the fight against the beetle with a safe method in terms of ecology and human health. Beetles must be collected by hand, preferably on a sunny day. Best time for collection - noon. You should immediately be patient, as this is not a very entertaining business. It is best to collect bugs with gloves and put them in a bucket to destroy later. Try to remove not only adults from potato leaves, but also laid eggs and larvae. First, walk around the entire site and collect adult mobile beetles, and then carefully inspect each bush, lift the leaves from the bottom - the larvae are hiding there. They must also be collected, filled with kerosene and burned. Can be placed in a strong salt solution.
The best time to deal with the beetle is before germination. You can prepare surprise boxes for pests. To do this, take potato peelings or cut the potatoes into several pieces. Then you need to put future baits in a solution of chlorophos or karbofos (prepare like this: 5 tablespoons of the product are taken for 1 liter of water) and left for 5 hours. Having tasted such a treat, the beetles will die. You can do the same after the potatoes are dug out, for prevention.
The Colorado potato beetle is very sensitive to various odors. If you plant crops with a strong odor between the rows of potatoes, you can thus repel most of the insects. You should not count on a complete victory, the daredevils will still make their way to the sweet plants. Dill, basil, calendula, marigolds, legumes are suitable as scaring plants.
You can also do this: as soon as you plant potatoes, spread the onion peel between the rows. It is desirable that it was not just an upper dry shell, but with pieces of onion. Over time, the onions begin to rot and the strong smell will prevent the bugs from getting close to the potatoes.
Birch sawdust and spruce branches will help in pest control. Twice a month, it is necessary to sprinkle the aisles with prepared raw materials, plus spray with a solution of tar. You can cook it yourself from 10 liters of water and 100 g of birch tar. You can treat the site with such a solution no more than 2 times a month.
After digging up the tubers, treat the area with a solution chicken manure (4%).
You can also reduce the number of pests with the help of ordinary ash. In addition to fighting the Colorado potato beetle, you will have a chance to get big harvest potatoes. Some enterprising summer residents process potatoes with cornmeal and even cement. Such dust has a detrimental effect on pests: as soon as it enters the stomach, it swells and the beetles die.
Chemicals for pest control
The Colorado potato beetle does not like it when toxic substances enter the plants. Pests are very sensitive to nicotine, so you can independently prepare a solution for spraying potato bushes. We take 500 g of crushed tobacco (raw materials must be dry). If real tobacco could not be found, you can buy cigarettes. You will need 200 pcs. Ready raw materials are poured cold water(10l) and leave for 2 days. Then you can strain the infusion and before you start spraying, add 40 g of soap solution ( laundry soap rub on a grater, add a little water to make the mixture liquid). Spray the potato bushes with this solution.
If the above methods do not give positive results, it remains to resort to chemical preparations. Popular preparations for processing potatoes: "Decis", "Karate", "Sonnet", "Sumi-Alpha", "Marshal".
Before you start processing potatoes, you need to familiarize yourself with some rules:
- Be careful when working with toxic substances. It is impossible for children and pregnant women to be nearby during the treatment of the site;
- it is strictly forbidden to consume any food and drinks during the processing of plants;
- it is impossible to process garden crops with any improvised means: devices with a watering can, hoses, brooms, etc .;
- it is best to process potatoes from a beetle in dry weather, when there is no wind outside. The best time to spray is early morning or evening;
- processing is carried out with a special sprayer;
- after completion of work, you need to take off your clothes and accessories, rinse the sprayer under running water, wash clothes, wash your face and hands well with soap and then go to the bathroom to take a shower;
- after spraying chemicals you can not stay on the site for 1-2 days. Even weeds weeded out immediately after spraying should not be given to pets;
- if there is evidence with bees on the site, then they need to be taken to a safe distance. It is believed that the bees will not die if they are located at a distance of at least 5 km from the treatment area. After a week, the hives can be returned to their place. If it is not possible to take out evidence with bees, then they need to be isolated;
- processing is carried out at least 30 days before harvest.
Folk remedies for processing potatoes
If you do not want to use pesticides, you can try to treat a small area safe for garden crops and insects biological preparation"Bitoxibacillin". This drug is widely used in many countries of the world, starting from the period of the mass appearance of pest larvae. We prepare such a solution: 10 liters of water are taken for 200 g of the drug. For 100 m 2, no more than 4 liters of liquid should be consumed. The first treatment - when they noticed the mass appearance of larvae and many adults. The drug will easily cope with the Colorado potato beetle, 90% destroy adults and almost completely - larvae. The next treatment should be repeated after 2 weeks.
There is another interesting method that can be classified as safe. A special breed of chickens "Faverol" can easily rid the site of pests. To do this, you need to start accustoming chickens to feed with an admixture of chopped raw potatoes and tops. So, chickens are gradually accustomed to the smell of plants. Starting from the age of one month, powdered Colorado potato beetles should be added to food every day. Every day the dose of the bait must be increased. Already at the age of 3 months, young chickens are released to the site hungry so that they can find their own food on their own. As a result, chickens eat almost all the beetles that are on plants. This can only be done on the condition that the potatoes have not been previously treated with pesticides.
Agricultural practices in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle - when potato varieties that are not tasty for pests are planted on the site. For example, "Gatchinsky", "Early Belarusian", "Zubrenok", "Spark", "Zhukovsky", "Dining Room". But here you need to understand that there is no such variety of potatoes that beetles will bypass.
Any decoctions and infusions on the water can scare away pests. To live up to expectations and get rid of the Colorado beetles, you need to take precautions, the same as when working with toxic substances. Decoctions should be prepared immediately before processing, and after 10 days, repeat spraying again.
How to treat potatoes from pests:
- Horsetail and dandelion. We take dandelion and horsetail in equal proportions, fill it with water, put it on fire and wait until the mixture boils. Cool, filter and take half a liter of broth for 1 bucket of water.
- We are preparing a decoction of celandine. We put dry celandine in a bucket, tamping as much as possible. Fill the stems with water, put on fire. We wait until the mixture boils, then cool, filter and 10 liters pure water use 500 ml of concentrated broth.
- Well helps in the fight against the beetle infusion of ash with wormwood. To do this, take only fresh wormwood (200 g), grind, add 200 g wood ash without impurities, pour boiling water and insist 3 hours. After that, the mixture must be mixed and filtered. We spray the bushes with this liquid, you can use the method of pollination with pure ash (do not forget that it must first be sieved). In a few days, not only the beetles will die, but also the larvae. And in a week not a single beetle will remain on the landings.
- Garlic and tomatoes in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle. We take 3 kg of tomato tops, pour 10 liters hot water, boil for half an hour. When the broth is infused, filter. Mix 2 liters of broth with 10 liters of water and add 40 g of laundry soap grated on a fine grater.
- You can make an infusion of garlic for spraying the plant: from 200 g of heads or arrows (need to be crushed) and 10 liters of water, we prepare a solution for spraying, add household chopped soap (40 g) before use.
- In the autumn season, when the crop is harvested and the tops are burned, we do not let the beetle go into the soil for the winter. We lure the beetle like this: we fold the young tops, spray it with a solution of chicken manure.
Summing up: the mechanical method of dealing with the beetle is a laborious task. Suitable for small area. Biological agents predominate in pest control. They won't harm beneficial insects, animals and humans, and horticultural crops all useful substances are preserved. As a result of the use of such preparations, you can get rid of pests and get ecologically clean potatoes. Of the minuses, we note that the drugs do not act on the larvae, so the beetles may appear again and it is necessary to repeat the treatment again.
Folk methods are always harmless, but not always effective. Beetles gradually adapt to different drugs and cease to be afraid of him. Therefore, in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle, you need to constantly change the methods of destruction and preparations, and then you can count on success.
Almost on every garden plot. Coming from the nightshade family, it does not require special care, the biggest problem is the fight against the Colorado potato beetle. If no action is taken, this pest can destroy most of the plantings, if not completely destroy. Means to combat it are used by spraying, so let's try to figure out how long the potatoes are pollinated from the beetle and by what means.
Briefly about the beetle
This is a rather large insect, with a body yellow color and black stripes on the shell. It got its name in the century before last after the name of the state of Colorado of the same name, where the entire crop was destroyed due to the invasion of beetles. It hibernates in the soil, with the advent of heat it gets out to the surface. Only adults can endure severe cold, younger ones die. This pest does not completely eat the greens, it gnaws at it, replenishing the loss of moisture.
Processing potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle
The safest and most environmentally friendly method is to pick beetles from bushes by hand. In addition to adult insects, larvae are also collected, which are located on the lower part of the leaf. The collection is carried out in 2 stages - first, beetles are collected, then immobile larvae and laid eggs. All manipulations are best done with gloves, pests are collected in a bucket, and then poured with kerosene and burned, or simply placed in a strong salt solution.
The best time to deal with the beetle is before germination. Make bait for them: pieces of tubers or potato peels are placed in a solution of karbofos or chlorophos for 5 hours. To prepare the solution, take 5 tbsp. funds per liter of water. Such baits are used both before planting and after harvesting. Having tried it, the pests die.
The safest and most environmentally friendly method is to pick beetles from bushes by hand. The pest is very susceptible to all sorts of odors. This feature is successfully used to combat the beetle: plants with a strong odor (dill, calendula, marigolds, legumes) are planted in the aisles. This will not ensure a complete victory, but it will significantly reduce the army of pests who want to feast on fresh greens.
Another way is to use onion peel, preferably with pieces of onion, which is laid out between the rows. Onion rotting, exudes a sharp bad smell repelling insects.
Plantings are also treated with a solution of birch tar, for which 100 g of tar and 10 liters are taken. water. Processing is carried out no more than 2 times a month.
How to spray potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle
You can always make your choice of how to treat potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle: mustard, decoctions of various plants or chemicals. Let us dwell in more detail on the types of chemicals used and folk remedies.
Spraying potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle Chemicals
The beetle does not like toxic drugs, including nicotine. To prepare a spray solution, take a pound of dry tobacco or use tobacco from cigarettes (10 packs are required). Then it is poured with 10 liters of water and infused for 2 days. Also, the composition of the solution includes soap (40 grams), rub it on a grater, then add a little water to make it liquid. Soap is added to the infused mixture and the bushes are sprayed.
If the proposed method does not help, use chemicals. Good results at "Karate", "Decis", "Marshal", "Sumi-Alpha", "Sonnet".
Rules for the use of chemicals for processing
Chemicals have a detrimental effect not only on insects, but also on humans, their use requires special care.
1. Spray products carefully, it is strictly forbidden for pregnant women and children on the site.
2. During spraying, it is forbidden to take any food and drinks.
3. Only special devices (sprayers) are used. Improvised means such as brooms, watering cans, are prohibited.
4. After carrying out the work, the clothes are removed and sent for washing, the sprayer is washed with water. Hands and face are washed with soap, then you can take a shower.
6. It is forbidden to be on the site for the first two days after spraying.
7. Processing is carried out no later than a month before harvest.
Spraying potatoes should be carried out in a respirator Folk remedies
If you have a problem with how to spray potatoes in August from a beetle, use folk remedies. They are safe and will not cause harm. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Horsetail and dandelion are taken in equal proportions, poured with water, the resulting mixture is brought to a boil. For spraying, take 0.5 liters of infusion per bucket of water.
Tincture of garlic
Prepared from 200 gr. chopped garlic, you can use both arrows and heads. It is mixed with 10 liters of water and laundry soap (40 gr.).
If the size of your site is small, you can treat the plants with a safe biopreparation "Bitoxibacillin". For 10 liters of water, 200 gr. drug. The first spraying is carried out at the first appearance of larvae, as well as a large number of adults. The drug destroys up to 90% of adults, and the larvae die almost completely. After a couple of weeks, the treatment is repeated. Per 100 sq.m. the site will require 4 liters of working solution.
The fight against the Colorado potato beetle folk remedies In addition to using various solutions, there is another very curious way. The breed of chickens "Faverol" will help get rid of harmful insects without any chemicals. The method is based on the fact that chickens are fed with finely chopped potatoes and tops. At the age of 1 month, Colorado potato beetles, crushed into powder, are added to food. The dose is increased daily. Three-month-old chickens, not previously fed, are released to the site. As a result, hungry chickens destroy almost all pests.
Video: how to process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle
So, we looked at several ways to deal with the Colorado potato beetle. mechanical way suitable for small areas folk ways harmless to humans, but, unfortunately, not always effective and do not destroy the larvae. The Colorado potato beetle eventually develops immunity to drugs, so the means used must be alternated. Fulfillment of this condition will make pest control as effective as possible.
The Colorado potato beetle is a major potato problem. This beetle will destroy plantings cleanly if they are not processed. And this applies not only to an adult insect, but also to their larvae. Damaged plants cannot recover and give good germination. The result is losses. Farmers and gardeners have long been trying to find a way to protect themselves from the Colorado potato beetle. And processing potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle before planting is effective method. To date, there are effective drugs, which make growing potatoes to germination less risky.
The Colorado potato beetle is a voracious insect. Not only worms, but also adults are able to eat a large number of 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.
For one larva, about 80 milligrams of green mass is required. During her life, she eats 750 milligrams.
The entire growing season has to deal with this pest. All means are used. But potato shoots can be secured. To do this, it is required to subject the processing of potato tubers that are going to be planted. The fact is that adults spend the winter in the ground at a depth of up to 50 centimeters, so nothing prevents them from attacking the seed material.
Means for protecting potato tubers
To harvest, farmers will have to process potato tubers from the Colorado potato beetle. Seeds are processed before they are planted in the ground and it is required to wait until they are absorbed into the potatoes. So the processing will not be afraid of rain. Eat professional tools protection, but there are folk.
Industrial professional protection
The processing of potatoes before planting from the Colorado potato beetle at a qualitative level is carried out using pesticides, which are offered in a wide range by manufacturers. There are foreign high-quality drugs, but the domestic industrial one produces at least effective means. If you want to check the quality, then better tool than consumer reviews can not be found.
Note! Domestic drugs and foreign ones have the same effectiveness. But the cost of the former is much lower.
Below are domestic remedies that answer the question of how to process potatoes:
- Prestige. Reliable remedy. To prepare a working solution, you 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 preparation is that it protects not only potatoes before planting, but also the soil around it after planting.
- Cruiser. The drug affects not only the Colorado potato beetle, but also potato viral diseases. The protection lasts a month and a half. Potato processing by experienced farmers has proven to be effective.
- Taboo. The drug affects any insects that live in the soil and may affect potatoes. Potato tubers are under protection for a month and a half, while precipitation does not reduce the effect of the drug.
Note! The protective effect is easily enhanced if drugs are used in combination.
Folk methods
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Colorado potato beetle came to domestic open spaces. Among the birds, the insect has no enemies, so it feels safe. To save their crops, farmers had to invent effective measures pest impact. Some of them are still used by people in their gardens.
Folk remedies for processing potatoes are less effective than industrial pesticides, however, they are environmentally friendly and harmless to potatoes. Their list:
- Ash. Previously, it was used as a fertilizer. However, it later turned out that the solution of furnace 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 tool among farmers. For 10 liters of water, you will need to fill in 1 gram of potassium permanganate. The result is effective solution, in which you want to dip the tubers of seed potatoes or sprinkle, process abundantly through a sprayer.
- Boric acid. Some gardeners use for lack of potassium permanganate. It will take 15 grams per 10 liters of water. The tubers are also rinsed or sprayed with a solution through a sprayer.
- Copper vitriol. Also used by dipping tubers. For a liter of water, 1 gram of copper sulfate is required.
Folk substances do not have Negative influence on human health. This means that protective agents can be omitted when processing tubers. Is it possible to spray with homemade solutions? Yes, but less efficient.
How to spray potatoes - pesticides or folk remedies? What is more accessible. With a small amount of landings, it is advisable to use folk remedies.
Safety when using pesticides
Industrial means in the form of pesticides are dangerous not only for the Colorado potato beetle, but also because of the high concentration they have negative impact on human health. Therefore, it will be necessary to observe safety precautions when processing tubers:
- Protection of exposed parts of the body. To do this, you will need to cover all open areas of the skin with clothes before processing. You will need gloves, a jacket, a scarf or a mask.
- Etching on open area. Processing of tubers must be done in a room that is well ventilated. Otherwise, the human respiratory organs may be affected. A balcony is suitable for spraying, in urban conditions. It is easier for the villagers in this regard, but the operation must be carried out during calm weather. Otherwise, the atomizers must be set to low power.
Note! Before processing, it is required to study the instructions for use of the drug and act according to the prescription. Prepare the solution exactly according to the instructions.
For the effectiveness of the event, it is important to know how to properly spray potatoes. Tubers are processed before planting. To do this, you will need to send a tarpaulin to the surface of the earth or floor on the balcony, you can use cellophane. In open areas, in order to avoid exposure to wind, the edges of the underlying material are pressed with stones.
unfolding seed material do not rush, as you can damage the sprouts. Therefore, it is required not to pour it out of bags or boxes, but to carefully lay it out by hand. It is required to dilute the drug, taking into account the dosage and the appropriate proportion. That is, if a 2 times smaller volume is required for processing potatoes ready solution, then even when diluting the part, both should be cut by 2. The single-use preparation after dilution and the solution cannot be stored.
If the germination of potatoes took place in plastic boxes, then it can be processed there. But this can only be done on the condition that the tubers lie in one layer. This will make the treatment as efficient as possible through the sprayer. Under the boxes should be placed a film or tarpaulin.
Assistants should not be in the processing room. Or in open areas they need to retire to a safe distance. It is desirable to stand on the windward side.
To speed up the process, it is desirable to use a special apparatus. An ordinary sprayer will do. And also for these functions, a bottle from under the glass cleaner is suitable. It is required to carefully and slowly carry out the work so that there are no skips of tubers. Otherwise, the processing may not bear fruit. A defenseless potato will be eaten by the Colorado potato beetle or its larvae. Planting of tubers begins after it dries out completely.
Note! Do not take processed potato tubers with bare hands. They need to be protected with gloves. Throw them away after work.
In the absence of a sprayer, the treatment is carried out by dipping the tubers into the solution. Tubers should be kept in pesticide for no more than 3 seconds. Otherwise, there may be damage.
It takes up to 2 hours to dry the treated seed material. When processing outside the city, the seeds can be wrapped in cellophane so that the chemicals do not completely evaporate before they arrive in the field.
After drying, processed potatoes can be planted without fear in the ground in accordance with all the rules of agricultural technology. The Colorado potato beetle is not afraid of it until germination, and then the seed tubers dissolve. Those who processed it correctly will get healthy seedlings.
