Rogue early to avoid viruses

Potato Council is advising growers to put their aphid control strategies into practice early this year, beginning with roguing to help keep a tight rein on virus health.

This follows the identification of the first peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) in a trap in East Anglia in mid-May. Subsequently there have been several further aphids trapped.

Drummond Todd, Potato Council aphid specialist, comments: "The high health status of our seed crop is one of the industry’s most valued selling points, so it’s crucial all growers maintain a tight control on viruses.

"Though aphid pressure is relatively low, research from SASA and elsewhere on PVA suggest vectors for this virus may be coming into the crop early on in the season. There may be gaps in our current understanding of how best to control these aphids. This makes good on-farm virus hygiene all the more important."

Best practice should be a combination of prevention, monitoring and judicious control, advises Potato Council. A three-point plan should be adopted:

1. Early Roguing – take out any groundkeepers and plants showing signs of virus – this reduces the risk of a virus spreading if aphid numbers do build.

2. Use the web-based monitoring service (www.potato.org.uk/aphids) – this will alert you to M persicae in your area, but it also needs to be checked regularly for non-colonising species such as the rose-grain and bird-cherry-oat aphids (Metopolophium dirhodum and Rhopalosiphum padi), which may be associated with early season transmission.

3. Decide on a good risk-based control strategy with your agronomist and stick to it.

The Potato Council-funded Aphid-Monitoring service, run by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), is now live at www.potato.org.uk/aphids.

A Potato Council tender is currently underway to review current research in the light of recent findings and make any adjustments deemed necessary to decision support systems.