A pest never before seen in Latvia – the pale potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida) – has been identified in a field on a potato farm in the country. According to a news report by Lsm.lv – the unified news portal of Latvia’s public television and radio services – the organism was found in a potato field of 10.33 hectares, the State Plant Protection Service said in a statement on June 3.
High concentrations of PCN in the soil can lead to a decrease in potato yields of up to 80%. The main pathways of spreading nematodes are contaminated seed potatoes and soil stuck to agricultural vehicles and tools.
Phytosanitary measures have been established for the infected field: a ban on the cultivation of seed potatoes for six years, the cleaning of agricultural tools every time after use, and in those areas where it is possible to eliminate the risk of spreading, the cultivation of plants resistant to pale cyst nematodes.
The golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) has previously been identified in Latvia.
Source: Lsm.lv. Read the full story here
Photo: Credit The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Bugwood via Lsm.lv
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