Planting wildflowers in potato fields can reduce the amount of viruses carried by aphids and reduce the use of insecticides, reports Potatoes News.
Eric Anderson, senior agronomist and potato specialist from Scotland, is leading trials with Jim Reed at Milton Mathers' farm. Jim is the owner of the AHDB Strategic Potato (SPoT) farm and along with AHDB, Colin Herron and Colin Ross from McCain Potatoes they are studying various measures to combat the viral infection as part of a four-year SPoT farm project.
The incidence of viruses in plantings of seed potatoes in 2019 reached a 20-year high. The main culprit is Potyvirus, PVY, mainly the PVY N strain (necrotic strain), and also PLRV.
PVYn is of the greatest concern. In addition, it is likely that continued widespread use of pyrethroids will lead to the risk of resistance to this group of drugs in non-colonizing aphids.
Research at Rothamsted on integrating wild flowers into carrot fields and work by Matthias Tschumi in Switzerland suggest that such experiments are possible with potatoes as well. Eric identified wildflowers such as cornflower, common vetch, and yarrow. They are highly effective in attracting aphids' natural enemies. These are stunted plants that have the same height as potatoes.
In Milton, 3m wide strips of this mixture were sown between rows of potatoes, creating a floral food resource and habitat attractive to hoverflies, laceworms and ladybugs.
“It has long been recognized that aphids are predominantly attracted to soil-reflected light in empty beds and contrasting neighboring plants. Planting wildflowers or spreading straw mulch on these empty beds are practical mitigation practices for early generation seed producers – FG2 and FG3.”
The effectiveness of strips in pest control is highly dependent on their botanical composition. Eric warns that there is a delay period for natural enemies to build up in numbers, so the use of this method and chemicals such as mineral oils is recommended.
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