There are few insecticidal options for potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), control late in the growing season. We evaluated the PTM granulovirus (PoGV) and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner ssp. kurstaki (Btk) for season-long control of PTM on potato foliage in 2006 and 2007. Compared to untreated controls, 10 weekly applications of PoGV (10 13 occlusion bodies/ha) reduced PTM populations in replicated 1-m 3 field cages by 86‐96% on pre-harvest foliage and 90‐97% on tubers added to cages shortly before harvest. Infection rates of 82‐95% of L4 larvae by PoGV were noted within individual larval cohorts. Equivalently timed Btk treatments (1.12 kg product/ha) were significantly less effective at population suppression, with a 36‐76% reduction in larvae recovered from tubers added to cages. A PoGV/Btk alternation was significantly more effective than Btk alone and as effective as PoGV in 2007, but not in 2006. There was some evidence that reduced rate PoGV treatments (10% rate or 50% application frequency) were less effective than the standard program. There were no treatment effects on percentage of tubers growing in the ground that were infested at harvest, which remained comparatively low at ≤ 8.1%. Bioassays were conducted to evaluate the residual activities of foliar deposits. Early-season applications were highly effective for the first 24 h ( ≥ 93% mortality) with a steady decline in activity over 10 days. A second application, applied later in the season, showed similar patterns, although in this case Btk was less persistent than PoGV, whereas both agents provided significant larval mortality compared with controls over 14 days. Both PoGV and Btk provide alternatives to manage field infestations of PTM prior to harvest, thus reducing the risk of tuber infestations in storage.

Semi-field evaluation of a granulovirus and Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki for season-long control of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella

A variety of pest insects attack the potato crop and reduce yields. This chapter reviews the known insect natural enemies of major potato pests around the world: Coleoptera, including the Colorado potato beetle, hadda beetle and related lady beetles, the Andean potato weevil complex, Gelechiid tuber worms, the potato psyllid, and aphids. Biological control, including insect predators and parasitoids, helps to suppress many of these pests. However, by itself, biological control often fails to control economic damage to the crop. Knowledge of natural enemy habits, requirements, and efficacy is surprisingly incomplete. More effective biological control would reduce pesticide use, with its associated risks to human health and the environment. For several of the major pests, biological control could play a much more important role if it were used in concert with appropriate cultural controls, microbial controls, resistant crop varieties, and selective chemical controls which suppress the pest more than they injure the natural enemies.

Biological Control of Potato Insect Pests

Tuber resistance can contribute to current management strategies against the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in field and stored potatoes. Wild potatoes represent a potential source of novel resistance traits against the moth. We assessed resistance in three wild potato species, Solanum multiinterruptum Bitt., Solanum sparsipilum (Bitt.) Juz. & Buk., and Solanum wittmackii Bitt. against neonate and developing tuber moth larvae. All three species had high levels of resistance but accessions of S. sparsipilum and S. wittmackii were significantly more resistant. Resistance in S. multiinterruptum was generally concentrated in the tuber periderm, whereas in S. sparsipilum and S. wittmackii resistance was mainly cortex-based. Unidentified cortex-resistance factors in all three species reduced survival and increased larval and pupal development times, but had no apparent effects on the pupal weights of survivors. A high proportion of larvae abandoned or died within tubers of S. wittmackii, which has particularly high levels of unidentified cortex-based defenses. Resistance decreased in S. multiinterruptum and S. sparsipilum as tubers sprouted but was more stable in S. wittmackii. Periderm-based resistance was more stable than cortex-based resistance in S. multiinterruptum during sprouting. In contrast, cortex-based resistance was stable in tubers of S. wittmackii as these sprouted, and resistance may have increased on some older sprouting tubers. Solanum multiinterruptum and S. sparsipilum are proposed as potential sources of resistance against the potato tuber moth.

Variations in resistance against Phthorimaea operculella in wild potato tubers

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Tecia solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) the Guatemalan potato tuber moth, for the EU. T. solanivora is a well-defined species which feeds exclusively on Solanum tuberosum. It was first described from Costa Rica in 1973 and has spread through Central America and into northern South America via trade of seed potatoes. It has also spread to Mexico and the Canary Islands and most recently to mainland Spain where it is under official control in Galicia and Asturias. Potatoes in the field and storage can be attacked. Some authors regard T. solanivora as the most important insect pest of potatoes globally. T. solanivora is currently regulated by Council Directive 2000/29/EC, listed in Annex II/AI as Scrobipalpopsis solanivora. Larvae feed and develop within potato tubers; infested tubers therefore provide a pathway for pest introduction and spread, as does the soil accompanying potato tubers if it is infested with eggs or pupae. As evidenced by the ongoing outbreaks in Spain, the EU has suitable conditions for the development and potential establishment of T. solanivora. The pest could spread within the EU via movement of infested tubers; adults can fly and disperse locally. Larval feeding destroys tubers in the field and in storage. In the warmer southern EU, where the development would be fastest, yield losses would be expected in potatoes. Measures are available to inhibit entry via traded commodities (e.g. prohibition on the introduction of S. tuberosum). T. solanivora satisfies all of the criteria assessed by EFSA to satisfy the definition of a Union quarantine pest. It does not satisfy EU regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP) status because it is under official control. There are uncertainties over the effectiveness of preventing illegal imports via passenger baggage and the magnitude of potential impacts in the cool EU climate.

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5102

Pest categorisation of Tecia solanivora.

A wide variety of insects are pests that feed on the potato crop and reduce yields. This chapter reviews pathogens and arthropod natural enemies for major potato pests around the world: Colorado potato beetle, gelechiid tuber moths, herbivorous lady beetles, Andean potato weevil complex, and potato psyllid. Biological control, including pathogens, predators and parasitoids, helps to suppress many of these pests, but by itself, often fails to control pest economic damage to the crop. Knowledge of natural enemy habits, requirements, and efficacy is surprisingly incomplete. More effective biological control would reduce pesticide use with its associated risks of pesticide resistance, and to human health and the environment. Behavioral control, the use of semiochemicals including pheromones to suppress pests, is also promising, and we review its potential for these pests. For several of the major pests, both biological control and behavioral control could play more important roles if integrated with appropriate cultural controls, resistant crop varieties, and selective chemical controls which suppress the pest more than they injure its natural enemies. 

Biological and behavioral control of potato insect pests

A new potato pest invading Southwestern Europe, the Guatemala potato tuber moth Scrobipalpopsis solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

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A new potato pest invading Southwestern Europe, the Guatemala potato tuber moth Scrobipalpopsis solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).