Flea beetles are a common pestilence that can cause major hurt to potato plant These tiny insects feed on the leaves , halt , tuber , and radical , leaving behind slam hole and scars that stunt maturation and slim down yields While flea beetle are found throughout North America , infestations in potato fields are sporadic and unpredictable from year to class . With some noesis of their biota and behaviour , grower can take steps to supervise population and minimize losses .
Biology and Behavior of Flea Beetles
There are several specie of flea beetle that flak potatoes , including the murphy flea beetle , the tuber flea beetle , and the pale - striped flea mallet . Adults are very small , jump dirt ball that vary in color from black to brown to metal green . They are called flea beetles because their enlarged hind legs earmark them to jump like flea when disturbed .
Flea beetles winter as adults in the soil or under flora detritus in undisturbed area near the field where they emerged . In bounce , overwintering beetles move to potato fields to feed on leave and lie eggs at the base of plant . grownup first colonise and establish in field boundary .
After mating , females lie egg in the soil near potato industrial plant . Larvae crosshatch and feed on root and stems below ground . There can be one to four generations per growing season depending on location . The life history cycles/second takes four to nine week depending on temperatures . Warmer atmospheric condition hie up development .
Recognizing Flea Beetle Damage
Adult flea beetle cause the most noticeable scathe by chewing small , rounded holes in leaves , give them a shot hole or sieve - same show . They tend to feed in groups , so damage starts along force field margins and disseminate inwards . Severe feeding can get complete defoliation of plants .
Larval feed on roots and Tuber causes less obvious accidental injury . Larvae bore narrow-minded tunnel in tubers , impair their appearance and reducing marketability . Entry head also provide pathway for putrefaction organisms .
Scouting for Flea Beetles
Since infestation are sporadic , regular scouting is essential for former detection :
varan field weekly as soon as plants egress , specially along bound where beetles first look
reckon for dig holes and mallet on underside of leafage . Check plants in multiple areas .
habituate yellow gluey card to pin down adults . Compare against handling door .
Dig up plants occasionally to contain for larval legal injury on roots and genus Tuber .
Keep records to compare populations year to class .
Cultural Controls
Certain cultural recitation can help slim down flea mallet populations :
Control weeds around field that provide food for thought sources for beetles .
Eliminate crop residue after harvesting to remove overwintering situation .
Rotate potatoes with non - host crop to cut off beetle life hertz .
Plant later when possible to stave off early spring settlement . Larger plant can tolerate more damage .
practice credit card mulches to form a barrier between emerging plant and overwintered beetles in the soil .
examine trap cropping with an former planting of eggplant , which is highly attractive to flea beetles .
Chemical Control Options
insect powder should be used only when populations overstep economic thresholds . Foliar spray target adult , while systemic grime insect powder applied at planting furnish long residual control of adult and larva :
Foliar sprays : pyrethrins , carbaryl , malathion , spinosad , permethrin
Soil treatments : imidacloprid , thiamethoxam , chlorantraniliprole
Only treat areas outperform thresholds to understate costs and resistance .
An integrated glide slope using monitoring , cultural practices , and well - timed targeted insecticide treatments offer the good protective cover against unpredictable flea mallet attacks while minimizing risks and costs . Careful management of this sporadic but damaging pest is key to profitable potato yield .
How to identify flea beetles A black potato flea beetle making holes in a potato leaf
Most grownup flea mallet are very belittled ( 1/16 – 1/8 column inch long ) . An exclusion is the spinach flea beetle , which is 1/4 - inch long .
A shiny black crucifer flea beetle micturate yap in a dark-green leaf
The most coarse flea beetle in Minnesota :
While most flea beetles only eat sure plants , the pale - strip flea beetle ( Systena blanda ) eat many different plants , such as edible corn , sunflowers , lettuce , potatoes , squash , and many weeds .
Biology Crucifer flea beetle larva
POTATO BEETLE SECRET EFFECTIVE CONTROL (OAG)
FAQ
How do I get rid of flea mallet on my potato plants ?
Do coffee undercoat deter flea beetles ?
What is the serious pesticide for flea beetle ?
