There are no restrictions in this respect, however, wanting to have reliable results representative of the whole batch of seed material, the minimum size is 120 tubers.

Well. The DAS ELISA test is widely used by potato certification bodies in official tests in Poland (PIORiN) and abroad (e.g. in the Netherlands – NAK). Only some batches of seed potatoes in the lowest qualification levels (class B) are evaluated on the basis of the symptoms found on plants in the greenhouse. Each method requires an eye test – that is, obtaining plants. To date, official surveys do not assess potato infection with viruses directly in tubers.

The entire process from delivery of the sample to obtaining the results takes about 6-7 weeks. This is due to the need to have at least 4 weeks old potato plants. The time to obtain test results is also determined by the availability of space in your greenhouses or climate chamber. In the spring and autumn we have the opportunity to plant about 20 thousand in greenhouses plants. However, throughout the year, there is space for about 3,000 in a special climatic room. plants.

The cost of testing one sample consisting of, for example, 100 tubers is about 165 PLN net for the eye test plus for the DAS-ELISA 100 PLN net for one virus. If the sample were tested, e.g. for 3 viruses, the total cost would be 465 PLN net.

It is very effective in the case of PVY and PVM and therefore viruses transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent (prickly) way. The effectiveness increases as the variety’s resistance to these viruses decreases. By using oil treatments, tuber infestation can be reduced by up to 50%. A necessary condition is that the treatments should be performed regularly every 7 days from the moment 90% of plant emergence on the plantation. Extending the period between treatments above 10 days may be counterproductive. Only in the event of rainfall or very strong winds can this period be longer than 7 days, because during this time aphid flights are very limited, so the risk is also significantly lower.

Basically none. Research in this field has been conducted for many years in many places around the world, including Poland. However, the conclusion is very often that no significant effect of insecticides, even the most effective neonicotinoids, in reducing PVY infection is found, despite the very effective reduction of aphid numbers by these agents.

It is worth it, because apart from aphids they are the only means effective against Colorado beetle. However, their effectiveness in the case of contact agents is strongly related to weather conditions during application. High temperatures or rainfall inhibit their operation. In the case of preparations with systemic effect, which after application circulate in the plant, the weather is no longer so important. However, these are definitely more expensive insecticides.

Treatment can be done in several ways. The simplest and most commonly used method on small farms is the so-called “Powdering”, that is, according to the center label, sprinkling every 100 kg of tubers in the planting hopper with a measured dose. However, this is not very economical due to the large losses of the product (dusting and drift on windy days), uneven coverage of tubers and too close contact of the farmer with the chemical.
Another, more technically advanced method is to carry out the treatment using special equipment designed for treatment, mounted on planters. Pickling machines allow the treatment to be carried out using a working liquid (water + a measured dose of plant protection product) ensuring even coverage of each seed potato tuber located in the hopper hopper or falling into the ridge. The advantage of using this type of equipment is the even covering of the tubers with working liquid (water + fungicide) and minimizing the farmer’s contact with the chemical.
In recent years, Syngenta has proposed a slightly different type of treatment, and actually more spraying, not just seed potatoes, but soil spraying that covers the tuber. The idea of ​​such a way of using a chemical agent is to avoid the agent’s blocking of germination on the seed potato tuber and thus to avoid delaying emergence.
The latest treatment method, which is gaining more and more popularity in our country, is the use of mortar devices using ULV technique to apply the mortar. These devices are mounted on belt conveyors or on special racks, and their main advantage is very accurate coating with working liquid of bulbs moving on the belt. Special nozzles are used to apply the working liquid, which by using centrifugal force by using a specially designed rotary disk are able to produce about 30 million drops from 1 ml of liquid. The drops are applied evenly to the surface due to the vertical air flow generated by the rotary disk and the falling of potatoes.

Common scab is a disease caused by Streptomyces bacteria. Depending on the appearance of the damage caused by the development of the disease, we distinguish its various forms: concave, convex and flat. The first signs of the disease are small brown patches with a diameter of about 1mm appearing on the tubers in the area of ​​spiracles. As the tuber grows, the spots grow larger and, depending on the severity of the disease, occur singly or merge to cover a significant part of the tuber. The severity of the disease is determined by the level of soil moisture within 4-9 weeks from the moment the tubers bind, the lower the severity of the disease. The development of spots is inhibited with the growth of tubers.

Disease control includes:

• Using healthy, certified seed potatoes;
• 3-4 years break in growing potatoes in the same field;
• On light soils, where scab is more heavily grown, resistant potato varieties;
• Use of green manure as forecrops;
• Maintaining the correct Ca: P ratio by avoiding the use of excessively high doses of lime causing an increase in soil pH;
• On alkaline soils, it is advisable to use physiologically acidic fertilizers, e.g. ammonium sulfate to lower the soil pH level;

• Sprinkling is recommended during the tuber setting period.

The technique of protection against potato blight is largely based on the use of preventive measures and protection until the end of the growing season, while taking into account the potato plant development phase and meteorological conditions conducive to the development of the pathogen.
During periods of slower development of aerial parts of plants and conditions unfavorable to the development of the perpetrator, surface and deep fungicides can be used to protect plantations, but when the conditions change (temperature and humidity increase), it is advisable to use systemic or systemic fungicides for plant protection. -wgłębnym. You should also remember to respect the intervals recommended by the labels for the intervals between subsequent treatments, and in the event of an increase in infectious pressure to shorten them.
During the period of intensive development of the aboveground part, for effective plant protection, systemic or systemic deep fungicides whose active substances have the ability to move around the plant should be used, effectively protecting the growing parts of plants. When the plants enter the phase of stabilization of their development (end of flowering), fungicides with different modes of action (surface, deep, systemic and systemic deep) can be used to protect the plantation, remembering, however, that for effective control of late blight on the stems it is advisable to use systemic agents or systemic depth.
At the end of the growing season, when the plants enter the phase of physiological aging, the main task of protection will be to prevent the infection of the harvested tuber crop. To this end, it is necessary to use fungicides that have zoospore-killing properties that are responsible for infecting tubers.

Potato blight is the most dangerous disease affecting plants and potato tubers. Effective protection against its harmful effects includes, in accordance with the provisions on integrated plant protection in force since 1 January 2014, the use of all available agrotechnical methods, varietal resistance and the right selection of plant protection products and protection until the end of the growing season. The essence of effective protection against potato blight is to carry out preventive treatments that will allow for proper development of plants and quick crop accumulation.

Plantation protection begins when the place for cultivation is chosen. The field should be leveled without stagnant water and with good ventilation.

Of the agrotechnical operations are of great importance:

1. appropriate planting date adapted to the conditions of the region;
2. growing potatoes in the same field after a 4-year break;
3. use of certified seed material;
4. stimulation and germination of seed potatoes;
5. cultivation of resistant varieties;
6. careful sanding and coating;
7. mineral fertilization adapted to the needs of the variety and direction of cultivation;
8. harvesting of tubers after reaching technological maturity (the skin of the tuber does not come off under the pressure of the thumb).

The correct and careful performance of agrotechnical operations will allow for more effective chemical protection. The moment of its beginning is very important for achieving full effectiveness.

In our country, the most common system of protection against potato blight is the so-called simplified system, i.e. the use of foliar treatments from the moment of including early varieties in inter-rows or rows depending on the width of the ridges. In conditions where, during emergence, the weather will be favorable to the occurrence of diseases for which high humidity is a factor conducive to its occurrence, waiting with the first treatment to close plants may be too high a risk. The intensive protection system will be more beneficial in this case, which is based on early start of protective measures (from the moment the plants reach a height of 15-20 cm) and leading it to the end of the growing season. Due to the preventive measures taken (before the symptoms of the disease), this system will protect the plantation more effectively in such conditions, but the producer must also take into account the increased costs incurred for protection.

The solution combining these two methods of protection may be conducting protection depending on the phase of plant development on the plantation and the cycle of development of the disease perpetrator (table).

The use of chemical protection depending on the stage of potato plant development (according to Kapsa)

Alternariosis of potato is the common name for a group of fungal diseases of dry leaf blotch and brown leaf blotch, which due to similar symptoms is called the same name. This disease, next to late blight, is the most dangerous disease of the aerial part of the potato. The importance of this disease is due to the fact that its first symptoms appear at an important moment in the development of potato plants. The occurrence of the disease most often coincides with the entry of potato plants into the beginning phase until full flowering, when the plants are physiologically weakened due to the transfer of assimilates from the aboveground part to the emerging and developing tubers.

In Poland, the first symptoms of the disease were observed after an average of 55 – 70 days from the date of planting. This deadline was most often in June, especially its 2nd and 3rd decade.

Limiting the harmfulness of occurrence and development of alternariosis on potato plantations includes a number of preventive measures and chemical protection. Preventive treatments include:

• growing potatoes in the same field after a 3-4 year break (the break period reduces the amount of infectious material in the soil);
• the use of healthy and certified seed potatoes;
• proper nitrogen fertilization adapted to the needs of the cultivated variety and slightly increased with potassium (increases plant resistance);
• planting date taking into account local atmospheric conditions;
• harvesting of potatoes after reaching technological maturity;
• destruction of all crop residues and potato seedlings (they are a source of infectious material for the following season).

The beginning of the second infection wave when the first symptoms of the disease are visible is considered to be the optimal date for the use of chemicals. Effective protection against alternariosis is difficult due to the often coinciding date of the first symptoms of potato blight.

The occurrence of the two most dangerous potato diseases in such a short period of time will require taking this situation into account in the strategy of protecting potato plantations against pests. When initiating protective measures, such risks should be taken into account and, depending on the degree of danger, protection measures with varying degrees of mobility should be used. Surface at low risk of late blight, and deep, systemic or systemic deep at higher.

Plant protection products registered to control potato alternariosis are shown in the table.

Colorado potato beetle is one of the most important potato pests. Unprotected breeds quickly on the plantation, and its voracious larvae destroy the assimilation apparatus (leaves) leading to gołożerami. Winter beetles appear already shortly before emergence of potato, coming out of the soil after wintering. This period is followed by intensive laying of eggs by females in deposits (800 -1000 eggs / 1 female) on the lower side of the leaves. In Poland, chemical protection is rarely used (although it is possible) during the massive emergence of beetles from wintering grounds. The fastest way to protect against the effects of foraging is spring treatment of tubers with insecticide-fungicide mortar, which has been in operation since the seasoning. The insecticidal component that has been working systemically in the plant since emergence – effectively fights winter beetles, which during paralysis are infested and cannot reproduce and lay eggs anymore. Colorado beetle growth stops. The use of LWD from a wide range of insecticides (registered on the market), if we did not apply tuber dressing, should be carried out after exceeding the threshold of harmfulness and during the period of mass hatching of larvae in stage L1-L2. The most important criterion in choosing an insecticide to be guided is the thermal and weather conditions and the time of application of the insecticide. We use agents from the pyrethroid group when the outside air temperature does not exceed 20 0C, the day is cloudy (not sunny), late in the evening after the flight of useful insects (including bees, hummingbirds). We use neonicotinoid agents in a wider range of air temperatures, also early in the morning or late in the evening. In organic plantations only bioinsecticides can be used – e.g. Novodor FC based on natural bacterial toxins (B.t) or SpinTor 240 SC based on spinosad – a compound resulting from the fermentation of S. spinosa.

The occurrence of various phytotoxic effects, such as chlorosis, sprains and plant growth inhibition, is usually a temporary effect. Significant phytotoxic effects, calculated according to a 9-point scale above 4, can cause tuber yielding and diminutive (tuber counts with the lowest caliber). Varieties and general sensitivity levels – above 6, usually eliminate a given variety from the list of those in crops where the herbicide can be used in the post-emergence period.

This is possible by using the Asahi SL biostimulator at a dose of 0.5 l / ha. It can be used at intervals of 7 days. Research shows that applying Asahi SL twice is sufficient, and the effects are most noticeable in growing varieties with a longer growing season. If you want to use post-emergence metribuzin, and you do not know the variety’s sensitivity to this active substance, you can add Asahi SL directly to the utility liquid and treat it with a mixture of metribuzin.

As a rule, they should not cause a phytotoxic reaction. However, in a situation where the treatment is carried out too late due to weather conditions (too much soil moisture preventing entry into the field) and the germinating tubers are very close to the soil surface. Along with rainfall, the active substance can be taken up by emerging plants and then emerging sunrises have symptoms of a phytotoxic reaction.

Colorado potato beetle is one of the most important potato pests. Unprotected breeds quickly on the plantation, and its voracious larvae destroy the assimilation apparatus (leaves) leading to gołożerami. Winter beetles appear already shortly before emergence of potato, coming out of the soil after wintering. This period is followed by intensive laying of eggs by females in deposits (800 -1000 eggs / 1 female) on the lower side of the leaves. In Poland, chemical protection is rarely used (although it is possible) during the massive emergence of beetles from wintering grounds. The fastest way to protect against the effects of foraging is spring treatment of tubers with insecticide-fungicide mortar, which has been in operation since the seasoning. The insecticidal component that has been working systemically in the plant since emergence – effectively fights winter beetles, which during paralysis are infested and cannot reproduce and lay eggs anymore. Colorado beetle growth stops. The use of LWD from a wide range of insecticides (registered on the market), if we did not apply tuber dressing, should be carried out after exceeding the threshold of harmfulness and during the period of mass hatching of larvae in stage L1-L2. The most important criterion in choosing an insecticide to be guided is the thermal and weather conditions and the time of application of the insecticide. We use agents from the pyrethroid group when the outside air temperature does not exceed 20 0C, the day is cloudy (not sunny), late in the evening after the flight of useful insects (including bees, hummingbirds). We use neonicotinoid agents in a wider range of air temperatures, also early in the morning or late in the evening. In organic plantations only bioinsecticides can be used – e.g. Novodor FC based on natural bacterial toxins (B.t) or SpinTor 240 SC based on spinosad – a compound resulting from the fermentation of S. spinosa.

The plantation is founded after 3 years of fallow land. Plantations, which are temporarily excluded from cultivation (fallow, set aside) are an excellent habitat for the development and multiplication of wireworms, larvae, and sometimes also other insect pests (grubs, caterpillars of farmers). Insects of the family Elstyidae – and mainly their harmful larvae – called wireworms, are important polyphagic pests in all agricultural crops, they multiply in such habitats in which there are no cultivating crops and killer whales (plowing systems). Very often the fields are also covered with weeds and grasses, which cause maintaining higher humidity in the crop and soil (microclimate). This favors wireworms, because they gather in natural places on rederal and grassy areas. Taking over such a fallow field, or after many years of monoculture (clover with grasses, maize), settlement with wireworms often exceeds the harmful threshold. Just destroying the weeds (with glyphosate) and plowing will not significantly reduce the number of law. In the case of soil treatment for potatoes, the use of soil insecticides (limiting the number of larvae) before planting is not possible because the use of chlorpyrifos-based agents is currently prohibited according to the Act and the Annex. The only possible way to reduce the effects of larvae feeding is to use Prestige 370 FS insecticide-fungicide mortar at a dose of 60 ml / 100 kg of tubers. This is not a crop protection measure throughout the growing season, and in fields that are very inhabited by larvae. The best action here will be to bring agricultural use to good culture, frequent loosening, plowing and use of catch crops (mustard, turnip oil, phacelia) limiting the development of larvae.

The hollows in the skin of the tuber resembling bite of wireworms (forms of elasticity) in the form available, but surrounded by such tissue structure are caused by the symptoms of “dry core”, also called dry plug (from the edge). This phenomenon is increasingly observed on potato plantations, especially in years with adverse weather conditions and for different types. “Dry core” is a form of rhizoctoniosis that does not settle on the skin of the tuber in the form of osposis (spore mycelium) at the end of the growing season, treated with symptoms in the form of a physical “cradle” in the skin and the upper layer of the flesh. After cutting, these cradle-like recesses are lined with mycelium of R. solani. According to research analysis, the phenomenon of “dry core” occurring on the surface may be friendly to people with body surface, which require the use of skin and insect larvae or hyper development of the epidermis on the skin. The phenomenon was more frequently observed in 2013, during the growing season of 2014. In the conditions of potato cultivation in Western Pomerania, it was not observed in such large numbers. This phenomenon – is certainly a very complex issue, in which the participation includes many biotic and abiotic factors, which require careful explanation and strict research.

Deep damage in the form of pits or deep pits in the pulp is observed on plantations with grubs or caterpillars of farmers. Grubs and caterpillars, due to their size and large physique, and a strong biting apparatus cause severe damage in the form of large cavities, corridors or even more than 50% of the tuber surface. Very rarely in plantations with moist soil or in wet summers, these damages can also be caused by snails, which have multiplied in recent years. They eat the tuber tissue and pulp, but they leave a characteristic “path” and trace in the form of mucus residues (this is different from the grub grubs).

In the present information transfer and the state of knowledge in the future, we may be threatened by the emergence of new quarantine pests. I am talking about potato fleas of the genus Epitrix sp. And its 2 species, which has been quite loud recently. This pest has been introduced from the USA with seed potatoes or consumption tubers; discovered in Portugal in 2004. Two harmful species Epitrix similaris and E. cucumeris occurred in 2008 and the following years on potato plantations, while in 2010 they spread to a border region in Spain. Individual cases observed in other locations (characteristic patterns under the skin) were only on washed and packaged tubers – they did not show live larval forms or beetles in the tuber batch. There is a real threat of this pest because potato fleas can survive in winter conditions until the following year. Globalization, the movement of people in Europe as well as the free movement of goods and services can contribute to this phenomenon. The efficient operation of quarantine services and careful observation of the fields (controls) – will limit the movement of these species.

Potato varieties as different genotypes show biochemical diversity and different morphological features of the structure. In terms of the phenomenon of resistance – we can talk about some varieties (whose tuber biochemical composition and TGA glycoalkaloid content) that some are more resistant and others more susceptible to damage caused by, for example, wireworms. Their larvae – capture the palatability and content of TGA or other compounds in tubers – are therefore more likely to damage those containing less TGA. In the case of Colorado potato beetle L. decemlineata – we cannot talk about resistant varieties nowadays, because Colorado beetle developed evolutionary methods of detoxification of solanine and chakonin (the most important potato glycoalkaloids) in large amounts of Solanaceae solanaceous plants in the green stage. Glycoalkaloids contained in plants, flowers are not an obstacle in feeding for Colorado potato beetle, they are excreted from the gastrointestinal tract in unchanged form.

The control of Colorado potato beetle and the implementation of the treatment depends on exceeding the harmful threshold, which is for this pest: 1 egg deposit / 1 plant; 15 larvae / plant 1 beetle per 25 plants. In the case of spring larvae, commonly known as wireworms, it depends on the method we perform the analysis. Today, in the latest potato growing technology, the most important are the high quality of tubers obtained for processing (fries, chips, frozen foods, semi-finished products) and consumption purposes (edible potato), tubers should be undamaged by larvae should not have flaws in the pulp. Only such a product has a chance to get a high price and appear on the market. The threat threshold for potato cultivation is the conversion of 11 larvae of the wire-knuckle / m2 of field area (if it is carried out with the help of hole pit openings), and in the case of specialized crops for fries, chips 6 larvae / m2. In case of spreading bait traps, analysis per 1 ha of field – means placing 10 to 20 traps (with sprouted grain). Harmful threshold as average – 2.5 larvae / 1 trap [calculated as the arithmetic mean of all larvae caught per 10 traps]; raised threshold 2.5-3.5 larvae / per trap; high – above 3.6 larvae / 1 trap.