Since the 50s of the last century, the Colorado potato beetle has become the scourge of potato fields, both industrial and private. Summer residents in every corner of our country are wondering whether it is possible to spray potatoes during flowering. big country. The striped pest is very tenacious and adapts perfectly to any weather conditions. In regions with cold winters, it burrows almost 0.5 m into the soil and calmly waits out the cold.
It is not without reason that summer residents ask whether it is possible to spray potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle right during flowering. Massive gluttony of potato tops begins precisely during the formation of buds on potato bushes.
Overwintered beetles crawl to the surface in the spring, when the soil temperature reaches 12 °C. At daytime temperatures of 20 °C, adult individuals actively mate, females lay clutches of eggs, from which larvae appear on potato leaves by the time of flowering.
The Colorado potato beetle and larvae are equally dangerous for potato plantings. Pests drink the juice and eat the leaves. If there is no fight, you can lose your entire potato crop. The loss of 80% of tops and leaves on potato bushes leads to their inevitable death.
Environmentally friendly means of control
For two reasons, it is necessary to be careful when spraying potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle during flowering:
- The first reason is concern for pollinating insects. Beetle control agents can have a negative impact on bees, wasps, and bumblebees.
- The second reason is our health. Agronomists believe that toxic substances that get on potato leaves during flowering affect the quality and environmental cleanliness of the developing potato tubers.
There are clear reasons why potatoes should not be sprayed with chemicals during the flowering period. But the problem remains, the beetles multiply and the crops die. What to do? The main thing is not to give up at this time, take jars of water in them and go to the potato field to cheerfully collect larvae and adult beetles. Yellow-striped bugs are clearly visible on young green tops.
Migrating beetles will not attack your field if the potatoes are treated with a solution with a high concentration of nicotine during flowering. We started processing potatoes in such an original way a long time ago. The pest does not tolerate nicotine, and the solution is easy to prepare.
You need to buy 10 packs of cigarettes at the nearest store. The cheaper the cigarettes, the better. Pour all the tobacco into a bucket of water and leave for two days in a dark place. Before processing the potatoes, stir 40 g of grated potatoes into the infusion laundry soap.
Ash will help
At any dacha you can find ash. Carry out the treatment early in the morning. The first time before the buds form, the second time when the potato field begins to bloom, later - every two weeks. Potatoes, if the weather is dry, water the tops the night before. Scatter the ash on the ground around each bush, sprinkle it thickly on the potato leaves.
When potatoes bloom, an infusion of ash saves them from pests. A 10-liter bucket needs exactly 2 liters of it. Rub a pack of laundry soap into the ash infusion so that it sticks better to the tops. Good timing For spraying, early morning and early evening are considered. There should be no wind or rain during operation.
At any dacha you can find raw materials for preparing a repellent solution. Infusions are prepared from onion peels, celandine, and ground red pepper. When removing shoots on tomato bushes, you don’t have to throw them away, but use them to fight insects. If you pour them overnight hot water, then the infusion will be ready in the morning.
Chemicals
If you can’t use chemicals during potato flowering, then when can you use it to successfully poison the pest without harming your health. It must be said right away that when growing early-ripening potatoes, even after flowering, you should use chemicals with caution.
It's clear why:
- ultra-early and early potato varieties can be dug up for food 45–50 days after planting;
- concentration in systemic tubers chemicals on days 45–50 is high, since their decay period lasts longer.
Early potatoes can be sprayed biological drugs. They are made from a certain type of bacteria. The insect dies under their influence, the bacteria destroy its digestive tract. The following products are in demand:
- Fitoverm.
- Batsikol.
- Agravertine.
- Dendrobacillin.
During the growing season, spray the tops three times, apply treatments at weekly intervals. There is no accumulation of harmful substances in potatoes. Already on the 5th day after being sprayed, it can be eaten without any consequences.
Systemic and contact drugs
Late and mid-late potato varieties are removed from the field quite late, so it is permissible to use chemicals against the beetle. Use it exactly according to the instructions, do not forget about personal protective equipment.
Potato fields treated with systemic drugs are under their protection long time. Insects are not addictive and die after three treatments. There are many systemic drugs; the instructions should be carefully studied before purchasing. Pay attention to the decay period. Popular remedies for beetles and larvae:
- Corado.
- Prestige.
- Confidor.
- Colorado.
The next group of chemicals are contact agents: “Match”, “Aktara”, “Decis”. Pests die if poisonous agent splashed right on them. These drugs do not accumulate in the tops and are immediately washed off in rainy weather. Insects become accustomed to drugs in this group, so they alternate.
Conclusion
There are no universal drugs to kill the pest. But, since domestic and foreign scientists are actively working on the problem, it will be solved sooner or later. We will get effective drug from bugs, does not harm us. Today you need to use those products that are on sale. Process potatoes while protecting yourself with a respirator and rubber gloves; eat them only after the expiration date specified in the instructions.
With a harvest of 500 kg of potatoes per hundred square meters of tops, a lot also grows - 300 - 400 kg. If at least partially forced nutritional elements from tops to tubers, you can significantly increase the yield. This can be done in a special way, which is called senication.
In order to increase the yield, just one spraying is enough. The results are impressive - without any effort, the harvest will grow by at least 10 - 15%, the tubers become more beautiful, tastier and better stored. The incidence of diseases is reduced significantly.
What is it eaten with?
IN Lately There was interest in a special method of foliar feeding of potatoes - senication. Its essence is that by spraying with a concentrated solution of superphosphate it causes artificial aging tops and outflow of nutrition into tubers.
When to perform senication
At first glance, the information is contradictory; some advise spraying immediately after flowering, others - 15-20 days after flowering. Both are right. Plants must be treated 20 days before harvesting. But not before they bloom. That is early varieties they are sprayed a week before harvesting; ultra-early ones, such as Timo, are not sprayed at all. Medium ones are treated a week after flowering, and medium-late ones - after 15 - 20 days. It is also important to guess the weather conditions.
Spraying is carried out in clear, windless weather. It is useless to waste the solution if this activity is carried out before or immediately after rain, as well as during dew. Water will dilute and wash away the solution, and the result will be incomplete. Best time for spraying - around noon, when the dew leaves the plants and they experience a moisture deficit. Can be sprayed in the evening. This will increase the outflow of plastic substances from the stems and leaves into the tubers at night.
Preparing “living water”
All you need is a bucket of water, a sprayer and 2 kg of superphosphate. If you buy double superphosphate, it will take 1 kg. If you can’t get them, you can also use diammophoska, but you will need 3 kg of it. We must immediately warn you that superphosphate is poorly soluble in water. Therefore, the solution is prepared two hours before use. Pour 2 kg of superphosphate into 10 liters of water and stir thoroughly. After 2 hours, the settled solution is poured into another bucket and filtered into a sprayer through 3-4-layer gauze.
Advanced potato growers add a few trace elements or even a little herbicide. But we do not advise beginners in senication to experiment. It is better to first test such “evil” solutions on several bushes and, after making sure positive result, on next year apply as your know-how. By the way, the sediment remaining from superphosphate is excellent fertilizer, and it can be used for any crop by cultivating it into the soil with a hoe.
What to expect from “old age”
Some gardeners exaggerate, claiming that the yield increases by 2-3 times. Perhaps in some wet years, when the potatoes fatten and go into the tops, this is indeed the case. But in the usual average dry summer, the increase is more modest - 10 - 15%. The best part is that the tubers turn out very beautiful, marketable, with practically no damaged by diseases. And the harvest is perfectly stored all winter, without requiring bulkheads. This spraying has a particularly beneficial effect on the taste. The starchiness increases significantly, and even varieties prone to watery and soapy tubers become tasty and crumbly.
ATTENTION! In the absence of a clearly expressed effect of yellowing and death of the above-ground mass, 8-9 days after the first spraying, but no later than 10 days before the start of harvesting, repeat senication with the same solution.
When to spray potatoes against beetles?
A neighbor treats potato tubers against beetles before planting with Tabu. Potatoes grow already containing a component that repels beetles. We refused such a remedy. After all, it turns out that the plant is saturated with chemicals!
We prefer to spray potatoes with insecticides, when we find the first larvae - at the end of June.
This year we used the Tan-rek product. The instructions for the drug indicate that the death time of insects is 2 days. Quite an acceptable period.
What time of day is it best to spray the Colorado potato beetle? We always process potatoes in the evening. It’s not too hot, and it’s easier for the plants.
Question: Is it possible to spray potatoes during flowering?
Our potatoes are starting to bloom, and just yesterday we treated them for the Colorado potato beetle. Nothing bad happened - she’s standing cheerful, she hasn’t lost a single flower. We always do this and the potato harvest is always excellent.
How to spray potatoes against beetles: our experience
And now in more detail, how and with what to spray potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle, effectively and without unnecessary hassles.
We bought the Tan-rek product in one of the country stores. Price - 8 rubles per sachet with an ampoule. Our area required 4 such ampoules (total 32 rubles).
The product was dissolved in a 20-liter canister of water.
For spraying we used the garden pollinator “Beetle”. By the way, it is very convenient for them to spray plants against aphids, whiteflies, weevils, and apply foliar fertilizers. Baba Tanya sprays potatoes against a beetle chemical agent— “Intavir.”
Folk remedies against chemicals: what else can you spray potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle?
Birch tar: Dilute 100 grams in 8-10 liters of water and spray every three days;
Onion peel: 200 g pour 10 l warm water, leave for 24 hours, spray the potatoes;
Wormwood: 200 g mixed with 1 glass of wood ash, pour 10 liters hot water, leave for 6 hours;
Dusting with wood ash: carried out in the morning, in the dew. After a day or two, most insects die;
Decoction of celandine. Leaves are placed in a bucket and poured cold water, boil for 20-30 minutes. Then the broth is diluted in a ratio of 1 to 20;
Garlic infusion. 1 cup of chopped garlic and pour 10 liters of warm water, leave for 1 day;
Some plants repel the Colorado potato beetle. For example, if you plant garlic, beans or coriander, marigolds or nasturtium next door, their smell can repel beetles.
Foliar feeding potato is as important as the root crop. All the nutrients that the plant receives from the leaves are transferred to the tubers. As a result - increase in productivity, healthy plants and soil.
The absence of the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and potato moths is due to foliar spraying, because most of them live on the surface. The culture also has enemies underground - these are mole crickets, wireworms, larvae May beetles, nematodes.
Potato needs, growing features
A special feature of growing tubers is that foliar feeding of potatoes is the main way of adding nutrition to growing plants. The first portion of fertilizer is applied at the root.
Usually these are complex mixtures that give a good start for further growth. They are added when planting directly into the hole. Can be used as organic matter, and mineral ones purchased at a garden store.
The sweet taste of the tubers attracts underground pests. IN hot weather they are forced to look for water and shelter, so they penetrate the potatoes, causing them to lose their marketable appearance, and sometimes become susceptible to fungal infection due to damage to the integument.
Video: How to feed potatoes
Fertilizers are applied three times during the growth and fruiting season. This allows you to protect the plants and preserve the harvest. Spraying is carried out in certain time. There are drugs that act on living insects. There are those that are needed for prevention when the pests have not yet laid eggs.
Carefully! After feeding potatoes in August, you need to wait a certain time, after which you can eat the tubers so as not to harm your health. The dates are usually indicated on the packaging of the toxic substance.
Early varieties consume more nutrition because weather in the initial period they are still unstable, there are often temperature changes. Plants are forced to feed more intensively in order to increase their immunity. Overall from one square meter tubers take 20 g of nitrogen, 6 - 8 g of potassium, 9 - 10 g of phosphorus, microelements - boron, zinc, manganese.
According to the experience of many gardeners, potatoes respond best to organic fertilizers in the soil - rotted manure, compost, wood ash. After fertilizing with organic matter, within two years it was possible to dig up to 10 buckets of young tubers per planted bucket. This is explained by the fact that manure contains a balanced complex nutrients.
Root and foliar feeding - which is more effective?
It is impossible to determine what is more effective - foliar feeding of potatoes or conventional ones, since their goals are different. Roots are designed to increase soil fertility and provide initial nutrition to seedlings after germination. Fertilizers are adjusted according to the leaf if a deficiency of certain substances is detected. All nutritional deficiencies are determined by appearance plants.
- Lack of nitrogen causes yellowing of leaves. If nitrogen nutrition is disturbed, the level of photosynthesis does not reach its maximum. Consequently, the tubers cannot take up enough potassium and phosphorus to grow
- Potassium fertilizers are useful in combination with phosphorus fertilizers. They enhance each other's decomposition and have the most beneficial effects. Without potassium, the foliage begins to dry out at the edges, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, the tubers form and fill poorly
- Phosphorus deficiency in plants is more pronounced in neutral and slightly acidic soils. Even with sufficient input phosphate rock, superphosphates, leaves turn purple, root system is not formed and the tubers remain small until harvest. Therefore, phosphorus must be applied with acidic fertilizers - potassium and nitrogen.
Food for plants is provided by ready-made mineral mixtures and organic matter.
Chemical substances
TO chemicals include industrial fertilizers. For example - nitroammofoska, azofoska, special mixtures for potatoes. Their dosages are indicated in the instructions and strict adherence is required so as not to upset the balance of nutrients and not destroy the crop.
It is more profitable to carry out foliar feeding of potatoes with those fertilizers that best absorbed through the leaves. One of these is carbamide - urea.
The substance is more intended for spraying than for application under the root. At the same time, urea helps to increase the plant’s immunity, inhibiting the proliferation of fungal infections and bacteria.
For foliar spraying 300 g of the substance is dissolved in a bucket. For processing choose morning or evening time so that the fertilizer remains on the leaves longer. there is also a danger that the solution will cause leaf burns in the scorching rays of the sun.
It is worth pointing out one common mistake when growing potatoes. By scattering fertilizer on the soil surface, you can achieve a harvest of green tubers. Why is this happening? Because the root system will reach for food and set fruit closer to the surface.
And the impact sun rays causes photosynthesis in the underground part of the plant. This causes the tubers to turn green and are not edible. The conclusion is to put nutrients at the level of the root system and not be lazy.
Organic
Organic fertilizers can also be used for foliar feeding of potatoes. These can be infusions of ash or manure. The purpose of the activities is disease prevention and pest control.
To prepare an infusion from fresh manure, have to take:
- a third of a bucket of manure;
- to fill with water;
- leave for a week, stirring occasionally;
- dilute each liter with 10 liters of water.
Spray onto leaves. For this purpose, an ordinary millet broom was previously used, since fine particles manure may clog the spray bottle. You can also water the roots with this solution.
An ash solution for spraying potatoes is prepared as follows:
- 200 g of stove ash pour 10 liters of water;
- insist 45 days .
To combat pests and fungal diseases, another recipe is more suitable:
- 300 g ash (approximately 1 liter jar) boil for half an hour in three liters of water;
- cool and strain;
- add grated laundry soap 50 – 100 g;
- dilute up to 10 liters.
The importance of foliar spraying
Since potatoes are grown in the same beds every year, very careful care is needed so that diseases that take root in the soil along with the crop do not have a detrimental effect on the crop. On small plots it is difficult to follow the principles of crop rotation, so Special attention should be given fertilizing before and after the flowering period.
Foliar feeding of potatoes with chemicals during flowering is not carried out, because the smell of pollen attracts bees and beneficial insects can be poisoned. Secondly, during the flowering period the bushes are most vulnerable to chemicals.
How to feed potatoes before flowering
Before flowering, they are used to control pests. copper sulfate, and for nutrition - potassium nitrate in the form of a solution. Urea will also work if potassium was added earlier. Superphosphate before flowering will allow the tubers to gain weight.
The foliar method can be used before flowering green manure from nettles. To do this, the ground part of the nettle is crushed, filled with water in a barrel and left for a week. The solution is filtered and the tops are sprayed.
This technique supplies the plants with an additional portion of potassium and nitrogen.
Complex fertilizing during the flowering period of potatoes
How to feed potatoes during flowering so as not to harm them and at the same time not to lose the harvest. Recommended to use folk remedies for spraying:
- onion peel;
- leaves walnut;
- tobacco;
- poplar leaves.
Complex mineral supplements are introduced at the root.
It is safer and more effective to use fertilizers designed for a specific crop - there is minimal risk of overdosing with dosages.
Folk recipes
Nicotine baiting of the Colorado potato beetle is carried out with a solution that is prepared as follows:
- 10 packs of cigarettes without filter domestic production remove paper;
- pour in 10 liters of water;
- insist 3 – 4 days;
- add grated laundry soap – 50 g.
Spray foliage against infestations of beetles and slugs.
IN onion skins contains phytoncides that repel pests of agricultural plants. The substance contains phosphorus, microelements, and vitamins in small quantities. To prepare the decoction you need:
- 2 handfuls of onion scales;
- 10 liters of water.
Boil for 5 – 10 minutes, strain. Use as soon as it cools down. A sour solution will not do any good.
An infusion of walnut leaves has the ability to fight fungus and pathogenic bacteria.
During the flowering period, potatoes can be sprayed with nut water:
- bucket for a third fill with green leaves;
- fill with water and leave for 3 – 4 days.
The period of formation and ripening of tubers
The period of tuber formation and ripening is the most costly in terms of nutrient consumption. At this time, it is necessary to ensure power supply “from all sides”. On the one hand, the tubers gain weight and pull potassium and phosphorus from the soil. On the other hand, soil pests become more active and damage potatoes. Therefore, attention should be paid to both root and foliar feeding.
Colorado beetle- a real scourge of potatoes, and the fight against it is a separate summer epic for those who grow this root crop. Collecting adult beetles is not entirely effective and the potatoes have to be treated with chemicals. But is it always possible to do this? Is it possible to treat potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle during flowering? Is it harmful? chemical treatment during this important period of the plant's life.
Period abundant flowering potatoes is the time when tubers are actively forming. Unfortunately, the use of chemicals at this stage is completely undesirable, since future harvest during this period is extremely sensitive to chemicals. If you actively spray potatoes with chemicals during flowering, the future harvest will be saturated with chemicals.
The second consideration that should not be forgotten is that the chemicals will destroy not only the beetle larvae, but also beneficial insects, which are involved in potato pollination. So full chemical treatment is possible only after the flowers have withered.
The correct tactics to combat the beetle is to spray the plant shortly before it begins to flower, then there will be much fewer problems during this crucial period.
What to do and how to fight the Colorado potato beetle if it still prevails? Will help manual assembly pest For the sake of the future harvest, it is worth devoting more time to potatoes during the flowering period than usual, especially if the Colorado potato beetle really causes headache. Shake the beetles into buckets, the good old-fashioned way.
With caution, you can treat potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle during flowering with such agents as bicol, fitoverm, acarin, bitoxybacillin and agravertine.
There is also a proven folk recipe baiting a beetle with nicotine. You need to take ten packs of cigarettes (the cheapest ones will do), pour the tobacco into a bucket of water and let it brew for two days. After this, add 40 grams of laundry soap and treat the plant. The Colorado potato beetle hates tobacco.
By the way, if you plant tobacco bushes among the potatoes, the beetle will bother you much less.