How to get rid of potato leafhoppers?

If you have looked at many bugs, then you will find potato leafhoppers cute as compared to those bugs. This bug has very vibrant colours along with fantastic patterns. Never fall for the cuteness of these leafhoppers because they can spread disease to all your garden plants and crops in a very swift manner.

The only relieving thing about the attack of these leafhoppers is that if you are alert and spot these bugs quickly, they cannot spread the disease easily. If you have yet to spot this bug quickly, then the potato leafhopper life cycle is responsible for reproduction and can cause terrible damage to the whole crop, including potatoes. How to get rid of potato leafhoppers naturally? Knowing the right potato leafhopper insecticide can solve all your problems to how to kill leafhoppers.

Potato leafhopper identification

The potato leafhopper (E. fabae) is small, almost wedge-shaped, with a body size of approximately 3-4 mm. The green color of the egg (of nearly pale green shade) blends well with the foliage and is thus difficult to spot. Markedly, it features a set of white marks along the margins of its wings representing an inverse “V.” This leafhopper forms its jumps using its hind legs and is equipped with piercing-sucking mouthparts for feeding on plant juices. The spider mite mainly consumes potatoes, alfalfa, and legumes, leaving plants with a withered appearance through injection of its toxic saliva, which disrupts plant growth.

Symptoms of potato leafhopper damage

Potato welts can be distinguished by multiple types of signs that point to an infestation. The symptom denoted as “hopperburn” will be the discoloration at the tips or edges of the leaves and drying out. An outcome of leafhoppers injecting babies inside the plant while feeding is that they disturb the plant’s nutrient flow by mixing of the toxic steroids with the plant’s sap flow. 

The leaves would wither, become wrinkled and crumpled, as the distress seem to permeate through the whole plant. Besides, new shoots may be distorted or grow abnormally, which could be a source of poor production. These symptoms along with the visible decision to flee or creep about on the plants indicate the presence of potato leafhoppers in the area which by extension require an urgent management plan to arrest further crop loss.

Beauveria Bassiana: A natural solution to prevent potato leafhopper

Beauveria bassiana, the best insecticide for leafhoppers, is popular for being a novel fungus to control the attack of bad bacteria, pests, and insects. It occurs naturally and is very good for the treatment of soft-bodied bugs like potato leafhoppers. Novobac has utilized this fungus to good effect by supplying it as a powdered product to the farmers. This insect is also known to strengthen the quality of the soil. It is the best thing for potato leafhopper organic control.

• The spores used in this pest control method are highly effective.
• Absorption of host insects by the spores occurs within 0 to 6 hours.
• Germination of the spores begins 6 to 12 hours after absorption.
• The spores consume nutrients from beneficial fungi while eliminating harmful ones, protecting the entire crop.
• This method is environmentally safe, making it a superior alternative to chemical pest control.
• It contributes to long-term soil health and sustainability, benefiting future generations.
• Users find the potato leafhopper insecticide highly satisfactory, eliminating the need to search for other solutions.
• Application Instructions:
  • Mix 2 to 3 grams of powder per liter of water.
  • Use a sprayer to apply the mixture to the potatoes and surrounding soil.
  • Repeat the application every 3 to 10 days as a preventive measure, ensuring crop protection before potential attacks.
  • For financial protection, apply the insecticide before the female leafhoppers lay their eggs.

Beveria WP

Beveria WP, developed by the best brains of Novobac, is a very effective leafhopper killer and is a bio-insecticide. It is a good option for potato leafhopper organic control. It uses the naturally occurring fungus Beauveria bassiana as its active ingredient and provides excellent results against potato leafhopper nymph. This product is a very effective generalist, as you can use it against a variety of insect pests. This amazing potato leafhopper insecticide is safe to use indoors as well as outdoors. From potatoes to tomatoes and every other vegetable plantation, you can use it to get great results. You just need a reliable supplier like Novobac, and you can rest peacefully as this product does potato leafhopper control in the best possible way.

Natural way to get rid of leafhoppers

If you are looking for simple cultural control methods or mainly preventive methods, then this section has got you covered. You need to first check out the garden trash and remove it, including the debris from the potatoes, as soon as the harvest is done so the site only has soil. You can utilize the time to improve the soil quality. Check for the floating row covers and prefer to use them as a physical barrier to oppose the entering of leafhoppers into your garden. This way, you can easily protect your garden as the floating row covers act as a shield. Crop rotation, along with proper irrigiation is necessary. You should never forget to use reflective mulch to deter the potato leafhoppers.

If the level of attack by the bugs is intolerable, then there is no better option than Beauveria Bassiana, developed by Novobac to do potato leafhopper control. You can also use insecticidal soaps, but they do not work with the efficiency of Beauveria bassiana. Looking for chemical-based treatment is always a bad idea because this type of treatment does not work in the long term. Chemicals also destroy the quality of the soil, making it vulnerable to future potato leafhopper damage.

Conclusion

Potatoes are like the rice or wheat of vegetables, as they are part of the usual staple diets of people if they are not suffering from diabetes. Potato leafhopper attacking the potato garden means that you are going to lose out on all the potatoes you are producing. It is important that you keep Beauveria Bassiana of Novobac, a potato leafhopper insectice, with you for the preventive and curing measures. Always keep applying it at regular intervals. People say that one apple a day keeps the doctor, but in this case, keeping Beauveria Bassiana keeps potato leafhoppers away, for sure!

References:

1. Wraight, S. P., and M. E. Ramos. “Application parameters affecting field efficacy of Beauveria bassiana foliar treatments against Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata.” Biological Control 23.2 (2002): 164-178.
2. Weber, Donald C., Michael B. Blackburn, and Stefan T. Jaronski. “Biological and behavioral control of potato insect pests.” Insect Pests of Potato (2022): 231-276.