Last week, during scheduled survey activities, specialists from the phytosanitary department of the Trans-Baikal Reference Center identified a quarantine organism - golden potato nematode. The infected area is 0,05 hectares (located in the private sector of Blagoveshchensk).
Golden potato nematode is a microscopic worm, which is one of the most dangerous quarantine pests. She lives on the roots of plants in the nightshade family (on vegetables - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc., and weeds - black nightshade, bleached, etc.). The speed with which the nematode multiplies and spreads is very high. But the most dangerous is that the nematode makes plants vulnerable to other diseases. The pest usually causes especially great harm in household plots, where the potato has been a constant crop for many years, as well as in fields with a shortened crop rotation, where the potato is grown continuously or returns to its original place after 1-2 years.
The source of distribution of the nematode is infected potato tubers and soil contaminated from them near the potato bushes, because when harvesting, cysts fall from the roots and remain in the soil. It is cysts that serve as the main source of infection for all new sites, since they can be carried on seed potatoes, with tools, and even on shoes.
The Trans-Baikal Reference Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor offers its services for the selection of soil samples and potatoes for all the necessary studies to identify nematode infestation.
Source: http://www.teleport2001.ru