With aphid migrations predicted to start imminently in the South of England and two to three weeks later in Scotland, potato growers must adopt a range of integrated pest management measures to minimise the yield and quality-robbing effects of the viruses that these airborne insects transmit, writes Ken Fletcher, editor at The Scottish Farmer, in this article.
While seed crops in the North of Scotland are protected to some extent by the natural barrier to aphid migration provided by the cold peaks of the Cairngorms, growers both to the north and south of the Scottish Border must take additional precautions to stem the spread of infection.
With growers no longer able to rely entirely on chemical controls – due to the increasing resistance of some aphid species to current insecticide modes of action – ProCam recommends that seed and ware potatoes must be protected by an array of control measures to minimise their exposure to disease, which can essentially be done in four steps.
Source: The Scottish Farmer. Read Ken Fletcher’s article here
Photo: Traps should be used to detect the first migration of aphids and to ensure the timely start of insecticide applications | The Scottish Farmer
