Abstract
Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is the most notorious and problematic insect defoliator pest of potato. It is well known for its ability to develop resistance to chemical insecticides, so novel treatment methods must be developed. A possible solution is the application of newer groups of insecticides (biotechnical and biological insecticides) which are more selective and to which resistance has not yet been recorded. This work investigated the use of ecologically acceptable insecticide treatments: azadirachtin, spinosad and spinetoram, and their combinations against CPB larvae in laboratory and field conditions. Reduced dosing and combinational treatments were used to determine if effective protection against CPB could be achieved while also improving economic results. Our results from laboratory trials showed that combinations of low-dose azadirachtin (25%) and low-dose spinetoram (5%) are suitable for use in CPB integrated pest management. The results of the field trial showed that the use of 50% reduced dosage of spinosad and spinetoram resulted in high efficacy (89–99%) and can be recommended as a treatment method that provides effective control of CPB, improved economic results, and a positive environmental impact. Based on the advantages that these treatments offer compared to chemical insecticides, further work is recommended to determine if these combinational treatments used in other dosages or in combinations with some other ecologically acceptable insecticides can provide satisfactory control of CPB.
Highlights
Potato production represents the fifth largest agricultural crop worldwide [1]
Due to the low doses of insecticides used in the laboratory study, a low initial efficacy against Colorado potato beetle (CPB) was found
Higher efficiency of low doses of insecticides in the laboratory indicates that there is a large loss of active substance in the field due to the action of environmental factors [28]
Summary
Potatoes were grown and consumed primarily in North America and Europe, but in the last 30 years, the area of cultivation has expanded dramatically to areas such as Asia, Latin America, and Africa. With this increased production range comes increased potato consumption. In just 20 years (1991–2011), worldwide potato consumption increased from 27.35 to 34.64 kg/capita/year, after several decades of hovering around 27 kg/capita/year [1] This could be in large part due to the expanded growing range of potatoes in the developing world. In many places where potato is grown, yields are threatened by the infamous insect pest: the Colorado potato beetle
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