Economic efficiency of using entomophages in protecting potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle

Abstract

Abstract The Colorado potato beetle is a serious pest of Solanaceae crops in our country, especially potatoes. In order to reduce the chemical load in the field and prevent the development of resistance to chemicals in the Colorado beetle, this paper presents biological methods of protection using seasonal colonization by the predatory shield bug Picromerus and treatments with plant extract of amaranth of the Valentine variety (which, along with limiting the nutrition of the larvae of the Colorado beetle, stimulates growth and leads to an increase in the photosynthetic activity of protected plants). Additional treatment with amaranth extracts is recommended during the flowering period, which is critical for potatoes. Damage to potato leaves by Colorado potato larvae during this period can lead to significant decrease in productivity.