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IPM strategies to fight the Colorado potato beetle

June 16, 2015 – As the effectiveness of the primary chemical weapon against the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) starts to wane, new ways to manage this pest are needed where potatoes are intensively grown, according to an article in the the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

Neconicotinoid insecticides have been successfully used since 1995 to fight the beetle, but their effectiveness has been waning in some areas. While resistance is increasing, Anders Huseth, a postdoctoral associate at North Carolina State University, notes that it may not spread to all areas where potatoes are grown. Areas where potatoes are not grown year after year on the same soil are less likely to see insecticide-resistant potato beetles. READ MORE