News on Colorado Potato Beetle

Potato growers in Maine are cautiously watching the actions of the EPA as it reviews federal regulations for a popular insecticide (Imidacloprid - an effective insecticide against the Colorado potato beetle) that can be harmful to bees.

Colorado potato beetles are a dreaded pest of potatoes all over the world. Now, scientists from the Max Planck Institutes of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam-Golm and Chemical Ecology in Jena have shown that potato plants can be protected from herbivory using RNA interference (RNAi).

It should come as no surprise to Prairie potato growers that Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) insecticide resistance is increasing.

Barcodes may bring to mind the sales tags and scanners found in supermarkets and other stores. But U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are using 'DNA barcodes'to monitor insects that damage crops as diverse as wheat, barley and potatoes, and to make pest management decisions.

Insecticide resistance management is not always on the minds of potato growers when faced with menacing crop pests, but straying from the recommended usage guidelines can eventually make the situation much worse.

The feared Colorado potato beetle could spend this winter inside potato fields, warns the Finnish Food Safety Authority (EVIRA). This would be unusual. EVIRA official Raija Valtonen says that the risk is higher than before.