Aphids swarm potato fields right at seedling emergence, study finds
Yoho KC, DeGrey S, Lagos-Kutz D, Wenninger EJ
Crop Improvement
If you grow potatoes in your own garden, the weeds and nearby alfalfa or grain fields around you are quietly stocking the aphid populations that can infect your crop with virus before the plants even have their first true leaves.
Scientists set out sticky bucket traps in Idaho potato fields for five growing seasons to catch and count the winged aphids flying in from surrounding land. They found three distinct waves of aphid arrivals each season, and the very first and biggest wave hits right as potato plants are just poking through the soil, the moment they're most vulnerable to a plant virus these bugs carry. Different aphid species show up at different times, some from nearby weeds and some from crops like alfalfa and cereal grains, so keeping an eye on what's growing around a potato field turns out to be as important as watching the potatoes themselves.
Key Findings
Five years of bucket-trap data (2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021) revealed three consistent seasonal peaks in winged aphid activity.
The largest and earliest peak coincides with potato emergence, creating the highest risk window for potato virus Y infection, driven mainly by Pemphigus spp.
Mid-season aphid influxes involve multiple species dispersing from weedy hosts, while other taxa suggest cultivated hosts like alfalfa and cereals also contribute to vector pressure.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Idaho researchers tracked winged aphids for five years and found the biggest surge in aphid activity happens right when potato plants first emerge, which is exactly when a virus these insects spread can do the most damage to seed potato crops.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Modeling seasonal aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) dispersal into Idaho seed potato fields to inform potato virus Y management.
Potato virus Y (PVY) is an aphid-transmitted pathogen that severely limits global potato production, especially in seed potato systems. Understanding the phenology and relative abundance of differe...
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The potato is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.