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Potato
Year-Round IPM Program
(Reviewed 4/08, updated 4/08)
These practices are recommended for a monitoring-based IPM
program that reduces air and water quality problems related
to pesticide use. Links take you to information on how to monitor,
forms to use, and management practices.
Track your progress through the year with the annual
checklist form.
Water quality becomes impaired when pesticides move off-site
and into water. Air quality becomes impaired when
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) move into the atmosphere. Each
time a pesticide application is considered, review the Pesticide
Application Checklist at
the bottom of this page for information on how to minimize air
and water quality problems.
Note: This program covers major pests in both commercial and seed potatoes in California. Information on additional pests is included in the Potato Pest Management Guideline.
Previous crop and
preplanting |
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Special issues of concern related to water quality: Soil
fumigation, fertilizer application, and runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this time? |
Consider crop
rotation for reducing pathogens,
harmful nematodes, and problem weeds. |
Manage weeds in the previous crop.
Avoid herbicides that leave
residues harmful to potatoes. |
Take soil samples to assay
for nematodes immediately after harvest of previous crop. |
Manage residue from the previous
crop. |
Manage weeds between crops.
- Irrigate to
stimulate weed seed germination after previous crop,
before field preparation.
- Cultivate or
apply** preemergent
herbicide as needed to control weeds.
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| Analyze soil for fertility, physical constraints,
and pH, which can affect common
scab. Avoid over-fertilizing
to reduce problems with early
blight. |
Watch for wireworms, especially if there
is a history of damage.
- Treat** if needed according to PMG.
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Consider soil fumigation for soilborne
pests.
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Order seed
potatoes of
desired cultivar and certification level. |
Check seed tubers for tuberborne
diseases.
- Black dot
- Common scab
- Powdery scab
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- Late blight
- Rhizoctonia (black scurf)
- Silver scurf
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Follow proper handling procedures
for seed
tubers. |
Consider seed treatments to reduce disease
problems.
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Special
issues of concern related to water quality: Insecticide
application, fertilizer application, and runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this time? |
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Plant under appropriate soil
temperature and soil moisture conditions to avoid:
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Based on field history, consider a soil-applied insecticide
to control:
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| Fertilize according to soil analysis results. |
Consider applying fungicide in furrows at planting to
reduce:
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Special issues of concern
related to water quality: Herbicide application and
runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this time? |
Apply** preemergent
herbicide if needed,
according to PMG. |
Manage soil moisture to minimize:
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Emergence through
row closure |
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Special issues of concern related to water quality: Fertilizer
application, insecticide application, fungicide application,
drift, and runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this time? |
Monitor aphids weekly
(Klamath Basin only). Keep records (example monitoring form— and
treat** if needed according to PMG.
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Watch for pests
of foliage including:
- Aphids
- Tuberworm
- Whiteflies
- Psyllids
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- Loopers/worms
- Flea beetles
- Late blight
- Early blight
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Note presence
of pests or damage (example monitoring
form— and
manage
according to PMGs. |
Monitor for tuberworm adults (Central and Southern
California).
Treat** if needed according to PMG. |
| Use hilling to shape beds that facilitate tuber coverage
during tuber bulking. |
| Survey for weed emergence. Cultivate or apply** postemergent
herbicide as needed. |
If white mold has been a problem in previous
potato crops, treat** at flowering according to PMG. |
| Consider fungicide application** if there is a field history
of pink rot or leak. |
| Irrigate as needed. |
| Apply fertilizer as needed. Avoid over- or under-fertilization,
especially nitrogen. |
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Special issues of concern
related to water quality: Fertilizer application, insecticide
application, fungicide application, drift, and runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this time? |
Monitor aphids weekly
(Klamath Basin only). Keep records (example monitoring
form and
treat** if needed according to PMG. |
|
Watch for pests
of foliage, including:
- Aphids
- Tuberworm
- Whiteflies
- Psyllids
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- Loopers/worms
- Flea beetles
- Late blight
- Early blight
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Note presence
of pests or damage (example monitoring
form— and
manage according to PMGs. |
Monitor for tuberworm adults. (Central and Southern
California)
Treat** if needed according to
PMG. |
Based on field history, manage diseases according to
PMGs.
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| If white mold has been
a problem in previous potato crops, treat** at flowering
according to PMG. |
| Manage soil moisture to avoid soil cracking, but avoid
over-irrigation to prevent diseases. |
| Apply fertilizer as needed. Avoid over- or under-fertilization
(especially nitrogen). |
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Special issues of concern
related to water quality: Fungicide application, application
of vine-killing agents, drift, and runoff. |
| What should you be doing
during this time? |
Where tuberworm can be a problem, use hilling
as needed to keep tubers covered.
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Monitor for late blight and early
blight. Treat** with
fungicide or vine-killing agent as needed, according to
PMGs, to control them before harvest and prevent tuber
infections.
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| Look for sclerotium stem rot and consider early harvest if
present. |
| Irrigate as needed. Manage
water for late-season weed control and to avoid disease. |
| Apply** contact herbicide as needed for complete vinekill
and control of nutsedge. |
| Allow tubers to mature after vine kill and before harvest. |
| Harvest at proper soil moisture and temperature. |
| Use careful harvesting and handling procedures
to reduce bruising. |
| After harvest, observe crop for tuber
rots, nematodes, and insect damage. Use these observations to decide how stored
tubers will be handled and to assess the effectiveness of
the season's pest management program before planning the
next season's program. |
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| What should you be doing
during this time? |
Use proper sanitation in storage areas
(Klamath Basin only).
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Use proper curing conditions at beginning of storage.
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| Maintain proper ventilation,
humidity, and temperature. |
Monitor stored tubers for
pest problems:
- Late blight
- Silver scurf
- Black dot
- Bacterial soft rot
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- Fusarium dry rot
- Pink rot
- Leak
- Early blight
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- Tuberworm
- Root knot nematodes
- Leafroll net necrosis
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| Avoid repeated pile disturbance. |
| Store at temperatures
that prevent nematode multiplication if compatible with intended
use. |
**Pesticide application checklist |
When planning for possible pesticide applications
in an IPM program, review and complete this checklist to
consider practices that minimize environmental and efficacy
problems.
- Choose a pesticide from the UC IPM
Pest Management Guidelines for the target pest considering:
- Select an alternative chemical or
nonchemical treatment when risk is high.
- Choose sprayers and application
procedures that keep pesticides on target.
- Identify and take special care to
protect sensitive areas (for example, waterways or
riparian areas) surrounding your application site.
- Review and follow label for pesticide
handling, storage, and disposal guidelines.
- Check and follow restricted entry
intervals (REI) and preharvest intervals (PHI).
- After an application is made, record
application date, product used, rate, and location
of application. Follow up to confirm that treatment
was effective.
- Consider water
management practices that reduce pesticide movement off-site:
- Install an irrigation recirculation
or storage and reuse system.
- Use drip rather than sprinkler
or flood irrigation.
- Limit irrigation to amount required
using soil moisture monitoring and evapotranspiration
(ET).
- Consider vegetative
filter strips or ditches.
- Redesign inlets into tailwater
ditches to reduce erosion.
Ditches should not be lower than furrows.
- Consider management practices
that reduce air quality problems.
- When possible, choose pesticides that
are not in emulsifiable concentrate (EC) form which
release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs react
with sunlight to form ozone, a major air pollutant.
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