Every gardener in their garden beds wants to grow a clean crop that is guaranteed to be free of chemical poisons. So everyone is looking for potato varieties that are resistant to the Colorado potato beetle.
One of the gardeners told me how the Colorado beetles were doing on his property. His country house (inherited from his parents) is located in a long-abandoned village. No people, no potato fields. Its plot of 30 square meters (35.9 sq. yard) is the only one in the village. Potatoes are clean and produce good yields. He says he hasn’t seen a single pest in years. But this situation is an exception. What about the varieties that all gardeners can grow? Are there any that the Colorado beetle doesn’t like?
To understand is to win
But not all plants like the same insects. In some, you can see one or two larvae at an older age, and there are simply no young in the thick tops. And the neighboring bush is all covered with small pests, ready to go into the soil for pupation. Surprisingly, they are in no hurry to move to a fresh bush, uneaten, which they eat much more. Why? Let’s think together.
The first option. For example, I have been growing a certain variety for three decades, experimenting with other varieties, but have not yet been able to find a replacement for it. I do not think that over the years of our acquaintance, this variety has become resistant to the pest. After all, this has not been seen before. But on some bushes there are a lot of beetles, and on others there are almost none. Did different potato foremothers have different resistance? Hardly. The reason is something else.
The second option. There are two fields on the neighboring plots, they belong to different owners. Potato varieties are grown in these fields are different. On one of the larvae there is little, and on the other the host does not have time to buy blanks for a chemical attack on the pest! It’s a miracle! Did the fence become a border on the castle?
The third option. In one field, potatoes of two or three varieties are grown, it is known that beetles love these varieties. And here again is the mystery: why is the population of larvae different on different potato bushes? What is the reason for the different resistance of plants of the same variety to the Colorado beetle?
Striped Gourmet
By what parameters does the pest choose plants? Let’s consider the beetle intelligent, at least at the genetic level or at the level of food reactions. It is more pleasant to chew tender leaves, rather than hard, rough, covered with hairs. If there is a choice, the beetle will determine the varieties of potatoes that it likes. The gardener will believe that one of his varieties is definitely resistant to the beetle. Although other varieties are also collected for planting, a unique “sustainable” plant may be the most popular food plant for the pest.
How then to understand why different bushes of the same varieties are not the same for the parasite beetle? Here we recall how plants are protected. Physical methods like spikes don’t seem to be necessary to talk about, and some substances that can scare or poison are worth talking about.
More solanine – fewer bugs
This principle is based on one of the popular ways to which the Colorado beetles are not able to adapt — a strong infusion of the leaves and sides of tomatoes. Yes, they also eat tomato leaves, but the concentration of toxic solanine in the infusion is much higher! And insects don’t like too much solanine. But because the content in the green mass of plants of different varieties is different. Isn’t that the reason for some stability? Although there is a catch: if there is no other food, then the potatoes fairly flavored with solanine will go to feed the larvae.
How to increase potato resistance to the Colorado potato beetle
It is worth remembering how to choose the right seeds. Well, if so! Usually, from the pile in which all the excavated potatoes are piled, just choose tubers, the size of a seed.
Seed potatoes-only from strong parents
Let’s start in the summer to choose the tubers, from which we will take the seeds in the fall. On what principle? According to the population of plant larvae. The fewer larvae, the better. This bush can be marked, so as not to forget about a strong plant.
If you do this year after year, you will see what you can do.
Pretreatment of tubers
When the grower selects the seed material, he cannot detect diseased or infected tubers unless there is obvious rot. From such a sick material, sick plants that are unable to protect themselves will begin to grow in the spring. They will not be able to synthesize solanine in quantities sufficient to deter or destroy the enemy, will not be able to give a full harvest.
But they can become food for beetles. Is it good or bad? I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s that bad. After all, plants left without leaves, unable to recover quickly, will not be able to grow high-quality tubers. So they definitely won’t hit the seeds. You know how it is: the potatoes seem to be well planted, and some k were left without seedlings.
There is only one way out-to plant healthy tubers or at least help them cope with microorganisms or fungi that have populated the peel. First, the tubers are treated before planting-sprayed (or watered) and sent to the ground. Then two more watering with the solution: the first time-just from a watering can for pouring shoots, the second time-sprayed during flowering.
The drug increases the immunity of plants! Makes them strong, sturdy, and the Colorado beetles look for weakened plants. Here it is appropriate to recall that insecticidal drugs that treat plants always lead them to stress. Therefore, there are standards of poisons for each type of vegetable. If you exceed them, not only pests will die, but also plants.
Do you think the growers themselves will be able to create potato varieties that are resistant to damage by Colorado beetles?