How to effectively control cutworms in potatoes

Potato tubers grow underground and, because they are rich in nutrients, are a favorite food of many pests. They are often damaged when pests bite off the sprouts or feed on the tuber flesh and then become infected with pathogens, resulting in uneven emergence and a serious decline in both yield and quality. The cutworm is one of the most serious of these pests, so how should cutworm damage in potatoes be controlled? Let's take a look.

1. Agricultural control

In autumn, plow and harrow deeply to destroy the overwintering environment of cutworms, using low temperatures to kill overwintering larvae, pupae and adults, reduce the overwintering pest population and lessen the damage the following year. During their breeding period, clean up the field by clearing weeds and debris from the field and ditch edges and carrying them out of the field, so as to reduce the number of larvae and eggs. You can also use molasses bait traps and black light lamps, exploiting the phototaxis and molasses attraction of cutworms to trap and kill the adults, which can reduce egg laying by adults, lower the number of larvae and lessen cutworm damage.

2. Chemical control

When using chemical agents for control, choose highly effective, low-toxicity pesticides as far as possible. At sowing time, you can evenly broadcast poisonous soil and granules between the sowing furrows, paying attention to the concentration of the agent. You can spray the sowing furrows with chlorpyrifos or phorate diluted in water, then cover with soil after sowing, which gives excellent control of underground pests. You can also drench the roots at the seedling stage with a 1500-2000 times dilution of 40% phorate emulsifiable concentrate, generally 50-100 ml per plant, which kills larvae and eggs very effectively.

3. Poison bait trapping

If the infestation is on a small area, you can fry bait materials until fragrant, such as wheat bran or soybean cake, then mix them evenly with trichlorfon, paying attention to the concentration, and add an appropriate amount of water to keep the bait slightly moist. Generally, broadcast 1.5-2.5 kg per mu; after eating this poison bait the cutworms will die, and the effect is more effective than spraying chemical agents.

  The above is an introduction to how to control cutworms in potatoes. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.