Potato Information Exchange, Oregon State University

Pest Management

Pest Management

OR-PIE Home  (http://oregonstate.edu/potatoes/seed.htm)
See also : OSU IPM Site

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    Always consult and strictly follow a current label when using pesticides.  Most Agrichemical Companies listed under Related Sites in the PIE typically supply on-line versions of current labels for their particular products. If you don't know the manufacturer, go to CDMS--Agrichemical Database or  C&P Press Greenbook or similar sites and type the product name in the slots provided to identify the manufacturer and/or pull up a full-text label. Labels are typically in the form of PDF files and will require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader, downloadable free of charge, for reading and printing. Always follow a current label when using pesticides.

    Use pesticides Safely!! Wear protective clothing and safety devices as recommended on the label. Bathe or shower after each use.  Know your legal responsibility as a pesticide applicator. You may be liable for injury or damage resulting from pesticide use. Don't become a neighborhood nuisance by contributing to herbicide drift onto sensitive crops.

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    Pesticide Concerns
    Food quality protection and the associated potential loss of pesticides are of great concern to all ag professionals.  The following sites contain useful information on the Food Quality Protection Act and related topics. See also  FQPA/PesticidesPesticides , and  Agrichemicals in this website.
     


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    Diseases and Physiological Disorders
    Images, Descriptions, Symptoms
    Late Blight Pages and Telephone Hotlines
    Disease Control Recommendations
    Disease-Related Websites
    Physiological Disorders
     

    A wealth of information on identification and control of potato diseases is readily available at various WWW sites. For your convenience, links shown here may enter target pages toward the middle or bottom and bypass important information on other topics and crops. We encourage you to investigate all linked pages thoroughly as time permits. Be certain to scroll to the bottom and study any lists of additional recommended sites since interesting new examples are added daily.

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    Images, Descriptions, Symptoms

    UC IPM--Potatoes at Davis, California provides pictures and fairly complete generic control recommendations for most diseases, insects, and weeds affecting potatoes. Entering the site at the UCIPM Front Door will provide similar information for dozens of other crops. The Oregon State University
    Online Guide to Plant Disease Control similarly provides pictures, descriptions and PNW control recommendations for most diseases of potato and other crops. Directions for navigating the site are provided. Other broadbased sites include the Idaho Plant Disease Reporter, Idaho Potato Disease Problems, and Plant Pathology Internet Guide. The latter is extremely comprehensive with useful sections on weeds and biotechnology as well as diseases.

    See also Disease-Related Websites below for more images, descriptions and control recommendations.



    Late Blight Pages and Hotlines

    Several universities and other organizations now sponsor late blight hot lines and web sites. The following list is probably obsolete as it is being prepared. Check these sites often for additional new links.



    State                                      Telephone Hot Lines                              Web Sites

    • American Phytopath. Soc.                                                      Am. Phytopath. Soc. -- excellent historical info, more
    • Colorado                                       970-491-4278
    • Florida                                           904-692-2882                 University of Florida -- several pest/disease alerts
    • Idaho                                             800-791-7195                 Uof Idaho, Southern Idaho -- disease monitoring
                                                                                                            U. of Idaho -- general info, control methods, etc.
    • North Dakota/Minnesota                888-482-7286                 NDSU Plant Path -- disease monitoring
                                                                                                            Late Blight, NDSU -- comprehensive descriptions, more
    • Maine                                             207-760-9ipm                 Univ. of Maine -- numerous pest/disease alerts
    • Michigan                                        888-379-9012                  Mich. State Univ. -- disease monitoring
    • Minnesota                                      888-335-8636                 Late Blight, U of Minn -- disease monitoring and more
    • Montana                                         406-994-3150 (Certified Seed Office)
    • North Dakota                                 888-GTBRAVO
    • Ohio                                               614-292-5006
    • Oregon                                           541-881-8467 (Ontario)       OSU Malheur Exp. Station -- monitoring, recommendations
                                                                     800-705-3377 (Hermiston)  
    • Pennsylvania                                    800-PENN-IPM
    • Prince Edward Island                       902-368-5658
    • Wales (Dave Shaw)                                                                U of Wales, Bangor
    • Washington                                      800-984-7400
    • Wisconsin                                                                               Univ. of Wisconsin -- monitoring, more; outstanding  site

    Disease Control Recommendations

    Oregon/PNW disease control recommendations, descriptions, and pictures are available at PNW Online Guide to Plant Disease Control.

    Onlilne control recommendations for other producing regions are also readily available at sites such as maintained by the University of Maine (Maine Pest Management Guide), Clemson University (Pest Management Handbook, Clemson U), The Ohio State University (Ohioline), by the Province of Alberta (Potato Production in Alberta) and elsewhere. See Additional Disease Related Sites below. Clemson University provides an especially good site for all potato pests at Pest Management Handbook (Clemson U.). The Ohio State University provides pest control information for most crops through Ohioline.Clicking on vegetables and then potatoes while in Ohioline will provide a dozen or so full-color disease control publications. Pest control recommendations for almost any producing region in North America can be found in one or more of the sites linked under  Related Websites in the PIE.

    As you study the control recommendations, bear in mind that proper rotations, field selection, sanitation, spacing, and fertilizer and irrigation practices can reduce the risk of many diseases. Fields can be tested for the presence of harmful nematodes. Using seed from reputable  sources reduces risk from seedborne diseases.

    Because University recommendations are often outdated due to limited resources, be certain to check current labels before using any pesticide. Current labels are typically available at the following and other on-line sources:


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    Physiological Disorders

    External


    Additional Disease-Related Websites
     


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    Insects
    Images, Descripitons, Injury
    Control Recommendations
    Related Websites

    Potatoes are attacked by a large number of insects, including several which damage tubers in the field or storage. Foliar-feeding insects can be roughly divided into chewing, sucking or rasping types based on feeding techniques. Control measures may differ considerably among the three. Insecticides which provide good control for chewing insects such as the Colorado Potato Beetle, for example, may actually increase aphid populations due to adverse effects on aphid predator populations. Carbaryl (Sevin) and certain pyrethroids fall into this category. Applying such materials without an accompanying aphicide can lead to total crop losses due to aphids and viruses. A clear understanding of species controlled is an important aspect of any insect control program.

    A number of good insecticides are available for potatoes. Some systemic types applied at planting or sidedressed post-emergence (Temik, Admire, Furadan, Thimet, Disyston) can provide good control of most insects for prolonged periods. Systemic insecticides are highly desirable in most situations because they are convenient to use, persistent, predator-friendly, and typically gentle to the environment. Soil-applied insecticides obviously are not subject to atmospheric drift onto non-target areas and have only mild, indirect effects on predators and other non-target species. As with nitrogen, care should be taken to minimize leaching of soil-applied pesticides by avoiding overirrigation at all times.

    Wireworms can be devastating if not controlled, especially following susceptible crops including some grasses. Control is typically achieved by broadcasting and incorporating insecticides such as Mocap and Diazinon either before or at planting. Unlike other Oregon producing areas, potatoes in the Willamette Valley are often severely damaged by the larval stage of the tuber flea beetle (as opposed to the potato flea beetle). Adult tuber flea beetles typically lay eggs near the base of the plant well into the growing season. Therefore, control is based largely on controlling the adults as necessary. Materials used for other important beetles affecting potatoes will also control the tuber flea beetle.


    Images, Descriptions, Injury

    A number of web sites, including those in the following list,  provide excellent images and descriptions of potato insects.
     



    Control Recommendations

    General:

    It is important to bear in mind that pesticide recommendations for one state, region, or country may not be legal in another. Further, University recommendations are often outdated even before they are printed due to limited resources. Always follow current label directions when using pesticides.

    The  PNW Insect Management Handbook presents current/recent recommended management practices for most insects of potatoes and other commercial vegetables in the Pacific Northwest. Similar recommendations are available from various sources in other potato-producing regions (Maine Pest Management Guide, Pest Management Handbook (Clemson U; Potato Production in Alberta, etc.).

    Full-text labels for most pesticides are typically available online at CDMS--Agrichemical Database, C&P Press Greenbook, the  Pesticide Center Online (WSU) and similar sites.

    Proper rotations, field selection, and choice of variety can minimize problems with insects.

    The following sites, among many others, provide general recommendations for identifying and controlling potato insects.
     
     


    Pacific Northwest:

    As noted above, potato insect control recommendations for the U.S. Pacific Northwest are available in the PNW Insect Management Handbook. Additional information on safety and proper pesticide use are are also provided. Control recommendations are for information only. OSU does not guarantee success and can not accept responsibility for consequences of use.

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    Related Websites

    The following sites provide a wide range of additional information on potato insects.
     


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    Weeds

    Go Often to the House of a Friend,
    For Weeds Soon Choke the Unused Path
    -- Anonymous

    Poor weed control reduces both yield and quality and can make harvest a nightmare. Fortunately, excellent potato weed control can be had through a combination of common-sense management practices and widely available herbicides. Herbicides can be applied before, at, or after planting, but first applications typically occur between planting and crop emergence. These are often followed by lay-by applications either as part of the final hilling/cultivation or shortly after. Lay-by applications are often not necessary in short-season areas or for early-harvested crops.

    Weed Images
    PNW Weed Control Recommendations
    Related Weed Websites

    Weed Images

    Images and related information for most weeds are available through Weed Images (Rutgers University), the UC IPM Home Page (Davis, California), and the WSSA (Weed Science Society of America). Additional information is available from various sources including Oregon Weeds.

    Because of geographical effects on control methods, most of the preceding sites limit coverage to weed pictures and descriptions. However, valuable information on herbicides and herbicide labels are available through the Weed Science Society of America at WSSA-Herb. Specific control recommendations for the Pacific Northwest are provided under PNW Weed Management Handbook, below.


    Weed Control Recommendations

    The  PNW Weed Management Handbook  is a valuable, searchable resource for weed management for all crops and non-cropped areas alike in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.  It also contains valuable information on herbicide application, safe handling and other considerations which should be beneficial to practitioners in all producing regions. For specific PNW potato recommendations, go to  PNW Potato Weed Management Handbook. Management recommendations for other areas is becoming increrasingly available at sites such as the  Clemson University Pest Management Handbook, Maine Pest Management Guide, Potato Production in Alberta, Ohioline and so on. See also "Related Websites", below.

    Because University recommendations are often outdated due to limited resources, be certain to check current labels before using any pesticide. Current labels are typically available at the following on-line sources:




    Related Weed Websites
     


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