Potato pest?
Both our red norland and yukon gem potatoes were affected by whatever this is. Please help us identify the problem, and how to eliminate it for next year.
Curry County Oregon
4 Responses
Your question was an interesting one that sent me on a fairly deep dive. Normally, I would have thought that such damage was due to some sort of disease, but in taking a closer look and viewing lots of sites, it appears that the flea beetle may be the cause. You can find some good photos closely matching the pictures you sent at: https://vegetableguide.usu.edu/insects/potato/flea-beetles . You will also find an approach for managing them at https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/vegetable/irish-potato/potato-irish-flea-beetle or in this publication on organic methods of control: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/pnw640 .
Thanks so much! I was having a difficult time trying to find something that matched the damage!
Kind regards,
Margie
Thanks so much! I was having a difficult time trying to find something that matched the damage!
Kind regards,
Margie
You are welcome, and I wish you luck in your future potato growing...I just moved my planted patch to another area in my yard--as the dear don't seem to bother eating them:) If possible, it is good to rotate planting areas, and that may also help you with your problem, although that may have more to do with handling diseases than pests.