Protecting potato yields

Combating pest infestations with innovative solutions

(Sponsored) Approximately 37% of all crops are lost to agricultural pests with 13% of these losses due to insects. In potato production, some of the most damaging insects include aphids, the Colorado potato beetle and the potato tuber moth, which collectively lead to widespread yield losses.

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), in particular, poses a severe threat. This foliar-feeding insect can defoliate potato plants, resulting in yield loss from 40-80 percent. Compounding the issue is the beetle’s ability to quickly develop resistance to insecticides. As a result, crop advisers have long advocated for growers to expand their mode-of-action selection to maintain the effectiveness of existing chemistries.

One solution continuing to provide robust control over a broad spectrum of key pests affecting potato yields and grower profitability is Delegate® WG insecticide with Jemvelva™ active from Corteva Agriscience. This fast-acting insecticide utilizes a unique mode of action to target and control damaging pests, making it an indispensable tool for growers of pome fruits, stone fruits, cranberries, bushberries, caneberries and potatoes.

With 15 years of agricultural production experience in potatoes and other crops, Kevin Cochrane, territory manager for Corteva Agriscience, assists growers in cultivating quality crops by working with the growers to determine the best solutions from the Corteva lineup of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and biological products.

“The Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) has always been a destructive pest that causes widespread economic damage in potato production across the country,” Cochrane said. “Particularly, in the Pacific Northwest over the last five to seven years, we have seen an increase in CPB populations and that is very concerning to our growers.”

CPB is a significant pest known throughout North America. Adults often become active in the spring – around the same time as potato plants begin to emerge. Larvae and adults feed on leaves and can defoliate plants completely.

Potato growers can combat CPB by using Delegate WG insecticide. Cochrane says there isn’t another Group 5 on the market that is being used in potato production, making Delegate WG an excellent choice for growers.

Quick Facts: Delegate® WG insecticide

• Is a distinct mode of action (spinetoram) that fights insect resistance
• Is the only Insecticide Resistance Action Committee IRAC Group 5 insecticide
• Protects potatoes against costly crop losses from insects
• Has minimal impact on beneficial insects
• Delivers fast knockdown
• Controls CPB, armyworms, leafminers, leafrollers, thrips and more
• Offers, for flexible harvesting, a four-hour reentry interval and preharvest intervals as short as seven days in potatoes.

Delegate WG insecticide is a significant advancement in pest management, offering a reliable solution to protect potato yields and marketability potential against losses from key pests while protecting against the development of insecticide resistance.

Delegate WG insecticide also minimizes impact on beneficial insect populations and prevents secondary pest outbreaks. Unlike other product classes, such as neonicotinoids, and pyrethroids, Delegate WG uses a unique mode of action to target the insect’s nervous system.

“We all have to work together to control pests like the Colorado potato beetle,” Cochrane said. “If we don’t, we may find a day when it becomes even more difficult to control and then growers will be left with fewer options. We have to work with our growers to rotate modes of action, which will help preserve efficacy of our products for the long term.”

To learn more, visit: www.Corteva.us/Delegate/Spudman

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