Potato protection against potato ladybird Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata Motsch. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae)

Abstract

The results of the application of environmentally friendly methods of potato pest control are presented. Comparative field trials of insectoacaricides and microbiological preparations were carried out on potatoes of the recognized variety Yantar in the Primorsky Territory in 2018 and 2019. The object of research was the larvae and beetles of the potato ladybird Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata. The tubers were planted at the optimal time for the region, late April – early May. The study used Fitoverm preparations based on aversectin C (50 g/l), Akarin based on avertin N (2 g/l), Batsikol based on the strain of Bacillus thuringiensis var. darmstadiensis (BtH10), Bitoxybacillin based on the strain of Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis (BtH1). The preparations were studied independently and with Corado insecticide. Potato plants were sprayed with the preparations once. Pest counts were carried out before treatment and after treatment on the 5th, 10th, 15th day on 10 potato plants in three replications in accordance with the approved methods. Bioinsecticide Fitoverm showed a high efficiency of 90.5–94.0% at the application rate of 0.16 l/ha. A single application of bioinsecticides for 15 days restrained the intensity of the pest development below the threshold level. The combined use of bioinsecticides and an insecticide against the potato ladybird provided a decrease in the phytophage population by 90.8–99.8% compared to the control variant (without the use of plant protection products). The inclusion of preparations of biological origin Fitoverm, Akarin, Batsikol, Bitoxybacillin in potato cultivation technology will allow to limit the number of potato ladybird and solve the problem of plant protection in an environmentallyfriendly way in the south of the Far East.