Effects of a Prototype Pneumatic Machine to Control the Colorado Potato Beetle on Potato Plant Growth and Tuber Yield

HighlightsA prototype pneumatic machine used to control the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) had no effect on potato plant growth.Yields in pneumatic treatment plots were comparable to those of control plots treated with a biological insecticide.Pneumatic control of the CPB could be an alternative to reduce reliance on chemical insecticides in potato fields.Abstract. The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is the major insect pest of potato plants. Currently, the most effective method for controlling the CPB is to apply chemical insecticides throughout its lifecycle. However, the CPB has the ability to resist most chemical insecticides. Control of this insect pest has therefore become extremely difficult, prompting researchers to explore effective alternatives. The use of pneumatic methods to control the CPB is a promising alternative to chemical means. The objective of this study was to develop an effective pneumatic control method for the CPB to reduce the reliance on chemical insecticides in potato fields. In this context, a prototype pneumatic machine was designed and built. The prototype uses positive air pressure to dislodge CPBs from potato foliage, deposit them on the ground between the rows, and crush them. The effects of three airflow velocities (45, 50, and 55 m s-1) and two tractor travel speeds (5 and 6 km h-1) on CPB control, plant growth, and tuber yield were investigated in potato plots. Overall, the results showed no significant differences in yield between treatments (p = 0.3268), indicating that the yield of potato plants treated with the prototype was comparable to that of plants treated with a biological insecticide (Entrust). In addition, the prototype did not have any negative effects on plant growth. This suggests that the prototype could be safely and efficiently used in potato fields to control the CPB. The success of this innovative control method could greatly contribute to reducing the use of chemical insecticides to control the CPB. Keywords: Airflow velocity, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Pneumatic control, Potato, Travel speed.

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Design and Preliminary Testing of a Pneumatic Prototype Machine to Control the Colorado Potato Beetle

Applied Engineering in Agriculture ◽

10.13031/aea.14445 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 645-651

Author(s):

Saad Almady ◽

Mohamed Khelifi

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Potato Plant ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Travel Speed ◽

Control Device ◽

List Type ◽

Airflow Velocity ◽

Pneumatic Control ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Potato Beetle

Highlights A pneumatic prototype machine to control the Colorado potato beetle (CPBs) was successfully designed, built, and tested in a potato field under real conditions. The pneumatic prototype machine is effective in dislodging CPB larvae from potato plants. ABSTRACT . The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is a real threat to potato crops when left uncontrolled. This insect pest is hard to control because it develops resistance to most chemical insecticides. To date, several alternatives including chemical, biological, and physical methods have been used to control CPB populations but have proven to be ineffective on their own. So far, the most reliable method at short and medium scales has been the use of chemicals, i.e., spraying insecticides onto potato plants at regular intervals throughout the life cycle of the CPB. However, the overuse of chemicals due to the resistance developed by the CPB can lead to serious health and environmental problems. The use of a pneumatic method to control the CPB seems to be a viable alternative compared to the use of chemicals. For this purpose, this research focused on engineering a pneumatic control device that could allow farmers to reduce their reliance on chemical insecticides. A pneumatic prototype machine using positive air pressure to dislodge CPBs from potato plant foliage was designed and built at the Department of Soils and Agri-Food Engineering of Université Laval. This prototype was tested in the field using three airflow velocities (31, 35, and 38 m/s) and two travel speeds (5 and 6 km/h). The results indicated that the airflow velocity and travel speed have no significant impact on dislodging the CPB (p = 0.0548 and 0.7033, respectively). However, the interaction between airflow velocities and the development stages of the CPB had a significant effect on dislodging the CPB (p = 0.0194). Overall, the most adequate airflow velocity that resulted in removing most of the CPB larvae from potato leaves was 35 m/s. Obtained results indicate that this pneumatic prototype machine could be efficiently used to control the CPB. However, extensive testing is required to confirm obtained results and investigate the effects of the pneumatic control on both the potato plant growth and the yield compared to other control means. Keywords: Airflow velocity, Colorado potato beetle, Pneumatic control, Potato, Travel speed.

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Technical Feasibility of Pneumatic Control on Colorado Potato Beetle

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.828f ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 828F-828

Author(s):

Benolt Lacasse ◽

C. Laguë ◽

S. Yelle ◽

P.M. Roy ◽

M. Khelifi

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Travel Speed ◽

Field Trials ◽

The Other ◽

Technical Feasibility ◽

Pneumatic Control ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Field Effects ◽

Other Hand ◽

Potato Beetle

A front-mounted prototype designed to pneumatically remove Colorado potato beetles (CPB) from potato plants was tested in the field. Effects of different combinations of airflow velocities, nozzle widths, and travel speeds were investigated. Results showed that capture and dislodging of CPBs were better for adults and big larvae (L3 & L4). On the other hand, neither the airflow width and velocity nor the travel speed affected significantly the dislodging and the collection of small larvae. Field trials on the removal of larvae under the effect of different travel speeds showed that, the slower the prototype moved, the better was the collection of L3-L4 larvae. This study demonstrates the potential of pneumatic control of adult and L3-L4 CPBs.

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Transcriptomics-Based Approach Identifies Spinosad-Associated Targets in the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11110820 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 820

Author(s):

Pierre Bastarache ◽

Gabriel Wajnberg ◽

Pascal Dumas ◽

Simi Chacko ◽

Jacynthe Lacroix ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Leptinotarsa Decemlineata ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Molecular Targets ◽

Primary Method ◽

Juvenile Hormone Esterase ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Potato Beetle ◽

Potato Crops ◽

Generation Sequencing

The Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata is an insect pest that threatens potato crops globally. The primary method to control its damage on potato plants is the use of insecticides, including imidacloprid, chlorantraniliprole and spinosad. However, insecticide resistance has been frequently observed in Colorado potato beetles. The molecular targets and the basis of resistance to imidacloprid and chlorantraniliprole have both been previously quantified. This work was undertaken with the overarching goal of better characterizing the molecular changes associated with spinosad exposure in this insect pest. Next-generation sequencing was conducted to identify transcripts that were differentially expressed between Colorado potato beetles exposed to spinosad versus control insects. Results showed several transcripts that exhibit different expression levels between the two conditions, including ones coding for venom carboxylesterase-6, chitinase 10, juvenile hormone esterase and multidrug resistance-associated protein 4. In addition, several microRNAs, such as miR-12-3p and miR-750-3p, were also modulated in the investigated conditions. Overall, this work reveals a molecular footprint underlying spinosad response in Colorado potato beetles and provides novel leads that could be targeted as part of RNAi-based approaches to control this insect pest.

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Development of selectable marker-free transgenic potato plants expressing cry3A against the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say)

Pest Management Science ◽

10.1002/ps.4013 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 497-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Wen-chao Guo ◽

Zhi-an Wang ◽

Xiao-li Luo ◽

Xin Jin ◽

Jing Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Leptinotarsa Decemlineata ◽

Selectable Marker ◽

Transgenic Potato ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Potato Beetle ◽

Leptinotarsa Decemlineata Say ◽

Transgenic Potato Plants ◽

Marker Free

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Growth Analysis of Potato Plants Damaged by Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) at Different Plant Growth Stages

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1093/ee/18.5.854 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 854-867 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. E. Dripps ◽

Z. Smilowitz

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Growth Analysis ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Potato Beetle ◽

Plant Growth Stages

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Potential of Proteinase Inhibitors for Insect Pest Control: The Case of the Colorado Potato Beetle

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.767d ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 767D-767

Author(s):

S. Overney ◽

V.Q. Le ◽

S. Visal ◽

S. Yelle

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Proteinase Inhibitors ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Cysteine Proteases ◽

Crop Damage ◽

Cysteine Protease Inhibitor ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Potato Beetle

Bioengineering economically important plants with proteinase inhibitors (PIs) is a promising method for the control of insect pests. In the case of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB; Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say), the major insect pest of potato fields, 80% of the digestive proteases are of cysteine type. We showed that 60% of these cysteine proteases are inhibited by oryzacystatins (OCs). The use of these cysteine protease inhibitor genes therefore appears of great interest for the production of Coleoptera-resistant transgenic plants of potato. Complementary studies of biochemical in vitro assays showed an apparent absence of direct interference between OCs and potato proteases. The high regeneration efficiency of the genetically transformed plants with OC gene and the “normal” phenotypical growth of the resulting transgenic potato plants suggested that these foreign genes do not interact with important physiological processes in the potato plants. In vivo assays of PIs against CPB at various developmental stages suggest the significant potential of OCs as an effective way to control CPB populations and crop damage.

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