Introduction

• Compatibility of IPM practices with other nursery management

practices and prevailing ecological and socioeconomic

conditions are necessary for its effective adoption.

• Main goal of the IPM is to reduce crop losses caused by pests

with minimum financial investment and environmental losses.

• Potato tuber moths, aphids, thrips, leaf hoppers, flea beetles,

cutworms, mites, leaf miners, whiteflies are some of the pests

found in True potato seed nursery.

Aphid (Myzus persicae)

Symptoms

• Aphid colonies visible on the underside of leaves.

• Leaves look faded and shriveled due to loss of cell sap.

Identification

• Aphids are small (1-2 mm), soft and usually green in colour.

• Aphids suck the sap and weaken the plant;

• Aphids secrets sugary substance which favor black fungal

growth on leaves.

• Aphids act vectors and transmit plant viral diseases to other

plants.

Winged Green colored Aphids on leaf Wingless Green colored Aphid colony

Aphid (Myzus persicae)

Aphid (Myzus persicae)

Control

• Naturally occurring insect predators such as beetles and wasp

feed on aphids. Fungi such as Entomophthora species

controls Aphids population.

• Spraying at the rate of 30 ml of Metasystox (Methyl demeton)

25 EC or 20 ml of Rogar (Dimethoate) 30 EC or 7.5 ml of

Dimecron (phosphamidon) 85 SL in 10 liters of water can

control aphid population.

Thrips (Frankliniella species.)

Symptoms

• Thrips infestation causes silver spots on the leaves. Leaves

dry up, plant weakens and yields drop down significantly.

• Pale to brown color nymphs and dark colored adults of thrips

are observed on the underside of leaves.

Identification

• Thrips are thin, minute insects (1-2 mm long) that feed on

cells on underside of leaves.

• Severe thrips attacks may cause wilting of plants. Thrips also

transmit Tomato Spindle Wilt Virus (TSWV).

Pale or brown colored nymphs of Thrips

Control

• Adequate quantity of irrigation

can be an effective control

method.

• Spray the crop plants with of

0.02%Phosphamidon or 0.03%

Dimethoate or Methyl

Demeton orThiometon to

controls the pest effectively.

Thrips (Frankliniella species)

Leaf hoppers (Empoasca species.)

Identification • Leafhoppers are small in size (3mm long), highly mobile,

mostly found underside of the leaves and widely distributed in

croplands.

Symptoms:• Leaf hoppers feed on plant cell sap and weaken the plant.

Leaf hoppers introduce toxins in the plant tissues and damage

the plant.

• Leafhoppers burn leaf edges with top leaf roll and foliar

yellowing and plants may die prematurely.

• Some species of leaf hopper transmit mycoplasma like

diseases such as Aster Yellows and Witches Broom disease.

Leafhoppers (Empoasca species.)

Control• Use leaf hopper resistant or

tolerant varieties and trap crops

like beans.

• Spray insecticides @ 30 ml Rogor

(Dimethoate) or Metasystox

(Methyl Demeton) or 7.5 ml of

Dimecron (Phosphomidon) in 10

liters of water and If necessary

repeat the spray after 10 days.Potato Leaf hopper

Cutworms (Agrotis species)

Identification

• Cutworms are robust and grayish colored larvae 5 cm in

length.

• Cutworm larvae remain buried at the base of the plant during

daytime and feed on stem and root during night time.

• Prominent spots and line are seen on the back of cutworm

larvae.

Nature of Damage

• Cutworm larvae cut the stems of young plants causing lodging

of seedlings. Some cutworm species feed on the leaves.

Control. • Toxic baits prepared by mixing

insecticide with cereal bran, molasses and water should be placed at the base of plants.

• Use Carbaryl poison baits 5% @ 10 to 15kg / acre

• Soil application of chlordane or Heptachlor dust @ 50kg / ha found very effective against the cutworm pest.

Cutworms (Agrotis species)

Cutworms on Potato Plant

Flea Beetles (Epitrix species)

Identification

• Flea beetles are small in size, 2-3 mm long, black in color,

jump easily in the foliage of plants.

• The white colored thin larvae have short legs on the thorax

measure up to 4 mm in length.

Nature of Damage

• Flea beetle bore less than 3 mm in diameter circular holes on

the leaves. Severe damage cause drying up of leaves, badly

affecting photosynthesis, plant growth and crop yield.

Control

• Spraying of Bacillus thuriengensis

as a bio-control agent formulation is

very effective.

• Soil application of Neem, Mahua,

groundnut cakes are effective in

suppressing the pest population.

• Spraying of Malathion 50 EC @ 20

ml in 10 liters of water provides

effective control.

Flea Beetles (Epitrix spp.)

Flea Beetles on Potato Leaf

Mites (Tetranychus species)

Identification

• Mites are generally known as red spiders but are not always in

red color. Mites are extremely small, almost microscopic in size.

Nature of Damage

• Mites feed on the cellular matter of leaves leading to chlorotic

spots on leaves and tan coloring. High infestation mites cause

wilting of leaf and plant.

• White mite, attacks young sprouts and tender leaves, deforming

them. Damage to growing plants is particularly severe.

Control

• Use of acaricides, dry climatic conditions and less irrigation

destroy and mange the mite infestation.

Leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis)

Identification

• Small larvae of Leaf miners are up to 2.5 mm long and do not

have heads or legs. Larvae pupate on underside of the leaves

and then fall to ground.

Nature of Damage

• Leaf miners are a serious pest of potato. Larvae bore tunnels

inside the leaves, leaves dry up and eventually lead to plant

death.

Control

• Keep Sanitation in nursery and burn affected plants. Spray @

Nuvan 1 ml/lit or Acephate 1.5 g/lit or Cypermethrin 0.5 ml/lit.

White fly (Bemisia tabaci)

Identification

• White fly adults are small insects with light yellow powdery bodies,

1.0 to1.5 mm long, pure white wings and prominent long legs.

Eggs are smooth, sub elliptical, light yellow, when freshly laid, turn

dark brown later.

Nature and symptoms of damage

• Nymphs suck sap from the leaves where sooty mould develops

and growth of plants is stunted.

Control measures

• Spray @ 30 ml of Rogor 30 EC (Dimethoate) or Metasystox 25

EC (Methyl-Demeton) or 7.5 ml of Dimecran 85 SL

( Phosphamidon) in 10 liters of water.

Leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis)

Leaf miner Infestation White fly Infestation