Here are the scientific names, family, order, damaging stage, nature of damage, oviposition, pupation site, and management strategies for several pests that affect potato plants:
1. Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella):
- Family: Gelechiidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging Stage: Larvae
- Nature of Damage: Larvae feed on leaves, stems, and tubers, causing extensive damage. They also tunnel into potato tubers, making them unmarketable.
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on leaves, stems, and tubers.
- Pupation Site: Pupation occurs in the soil or on the plant.
- Management: Cultural practices such as crop rotation, deep plowing, and removal of infected tubers. Insecticides can be used if infestation levels are high.
2. Cutworms (Agrotis spp. and others):
- Family: Noctuidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging Stage: Larvae
- Nature of Damage: Larvae cut young plants near the soil surface, causing wilting or death. They feed on stems and leaves of potato plants.
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid in the soil or on plant debris.
- Pupation Site: Pupation occurs in the soil.
- Management: Crop rotation, removing weeds and plant debris, using traps, applying Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides, and using barriers or collars around plants can help control cutworm populations.
3. Thrips (Frankliniella spp.):
- Family: Thripidae
- Order: Thysanoptera
- Damaging Stage: Adults and nymphs
- Nature of Damage: Thrips feed on leaves, causing stippling, silvering, and distortion. They also transmit viral diseases.
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid within plant tissues.
- Pupation Site: Pupation usually occurs in the soil or plant debris.
- Management: Cultural practices like removing weed hosts and alternate hosts, use of reflective mulches, and application of insecticides targeting thrips can help manage infestations.
4. Mites (Tetranychus spp.):
- Family: Tetranychidae
- Order: Trombidiformes
- Damaging Stage: Adults and nymphs
- Nature of Damage: Mites feed on leaves, causing stippling, yellowing, and curling. Heavy infestations can lead to leaf drop.
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves.
- Pupation Site: N/A (Mites do not undergo pupation.)
- Management: Use of predatory mites, application of acaricides (mite-specific insecticides), maintaining adequate humidity, and removing infested leaves can help control mite populations.
5. Jassids (Empoasca spp.):
- Family: Cicadellidae
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging Stage: Nymphs and adults
- Nature of Damage: Jassids feed on plant sap, causing stippling, yellowing, and curling of leaves. They can also transmit viral diseases.
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid within plant tissues.
- Pupation Site: Pupation usually occurs in the soil.
- Management: Cultural practices like maintaining field hygiene, use of resistant potato varieties, application of insecticides targeting jassids, and biological control using natural enemies can help manage jassid populations.
