Pests and diseases of potatoes in pictures

Whenever it comes to enemies potatoes, we immediately remember the Colorado potato beetle. However, in addition to this pest, viruses, bacteria, fungi and other insects cause greater damage to the crop. You can find potato diseases in pictures on the Internet, as well as in any vegetable growing books that cover the main points of prevention and control.

Content:

• What diseases of potatoes do we see in pictures?
• What other potato diseases are there?
• Prevention of potato diseases

Preventive measures help to achieve a good harvest, since they take less time and labor. And you should always remember that the pesticides used in the fight against diseases and pests, not only worsen the nutritional quality of potatoes, but can also be harmful to the body.

What diseases of potatoes do we see in pictures?

The most common diseases are wireworm, late blight, dry rot and potato cancer.

Wireworm

The most common potato pest is the wireworm shown in the first photo. He feeds on the roots of the plant, the bases of the stems, but most of all he likes the tubers. In them, he makes moves, gnawing the pulp, which leads to the rot of the vegetable.

Late blight

Late blight is the most common fungal disease of the potato (picture 2). The disease affects tubers, leaves, and plant stems. It is dangerous because, getting on the potato, it immediately begins to grow, covering everything in its path with brown spots, kills the plant. The lower part of the leaves during late blight has a white bloom along the edges of the spots.

Potato cancer

Potato cancer (photo # 3) affects both the aerial part of the plant and tubers with roots. The disease is expressed in the form of a growth, which gradually darkens and increases in size. On tubers and stolons, cancer is detected using a white growth that constantly darkens and grows in size. This disease is shaped like the head of a cauliflower. The infection of the pathogen can live in the ground for up to 30 years.

Dry rot

Dry rot - potato disease (picture # 4) can cause significant damage already in storage. Its development is facilitated by an excess of manure or nitrogen fertilization. The lesions wrinkle due to folds and dark spots appear. Moves from one tuber to the second, ruining a large number harvest... The disease appears in the form of concentric folds that have pads of different colors.

What other potato diseases are there?

In addition to the above potato diseases, there are also such as banded mosaic, macropsoriasis, mottling, Gothic, wet rot, ring rot, brown spot and chloroticity of leaves. These diseases are not very dangerous, but they are common.

Brown spot and chloroticity of leaves

This physiological disease of the potato manifests itself due to a lack of magnesium. During illness, tissue death occurs on the edges of the leaves. If the potato has a strong magnesium starvation, then the disease spreads to the area between the veins.

Ring rot

This disease tends to infect potato tubers. The disease is characterized by the appearance of pink or brown spots and cracks, infection of the vascular system, which becomes yellow. Further, the lesion sites begin to darken and spread to the entire tuber.

Wet rot

The manifestation of this disease begins during storage. Signs of wet rot are the softening and moisturizing of the potatoes. Further, the transformation of softening into a mucous mass is characteristic, which has an unpleasant odor and a dark brown or pink color.

Gothic (spindle tuber)

This disease is characterized by a decrease in the leaves of the plant and their location at an acute angle to the stem. The surface of the leaf becomes rough. With the disease, the formation of tubers worsens, acquiring a fusiform shape.

Mottling

With this disease, the leaves and tubers of potatoes are affected. The color of the surface of the sheet becomes uneven. The disease negatively affects the yield, impairing the quality of the tubers.

Macrosporiasis

When the disease occurs, the leaves, stems and tubers of potatoes are affected. The disease is characterized by the coating of leaves with dry concentric brown spots, destruction of tissue in these places, which crumbles in dry weather. If the disease attacks intensively, then the leaf blade turns yellow and dries up.

Striped mosaic

This is a viral disease that is characterized by severe damage to the plant and a decrease in the yield of tubers. The defeat of the disease manifests itself on the veins of the leaves and on the stems, which looks like longitudinal stripes. With a disease, the plant grows old and dies early.

In addition to the above, there are many more potato diseases, but they are less common.

Prevention of potato diseases

To prevent potato diseases, it is necessary, firstly, to acquire certified planting material, which in most cases guarantees the absence of diseases, and secondly, to take into account the fact that pathogens remain in the soil, especially when planting potatoes several times in one place. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account when landing plants crop rotation rules.

Every gardener needs to know about potato diseases. This will help to carry out high-quality treatment at the first signs of the disease. And prevention will save potatoes from the development of diseases.