Efficacy of mineral oil combined with insecticides for the control of aphid virus vectors to reduce potato virus Y infections in seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Abstract

Aphids are major vectors of plant viruses. Potato virus Y (PVY) is the most important aphid-transmitted virus affecting potato crops in Denmark. Because of a changed seed potato growing strategy, the seed potato area in Denmark is changing from regions with a low average temperature to regions with a higher average temperature. This means that the aphids may infest the potato crops earlier and the population development of the aphids may be faster, and consequently PVY may more easily become epidemic in seed potato crops. With a view to reducing the spread of PVY a 3-year experiment was carried out with a combination of mineral oil and insecticides.

In 2005 and 2007 when a very high number of aphids were present, nearly all plants were infected with PVY. In 2006 with a lower number of aphids a smaller proportion of the plants were infected, and a tendency to a lower PVY incidence in mineral-oil treated plots was found, but more than the 8% threshold value. Even in plots where systemic neonicotinoids were applied and very few aphids were recorded, no significant reduction in infestation level of PVY was found.

The present experiment shows that mineral oil and insecticides applied to potato crops each week for a 6-week period as protection against aphid transmission of PVY did not significantly reduce the level of PVY infestations in potatoes.