Potatoes – management strategies for pests and diseases
Control of pests and diseases in potato crops can be achieved using biological, cultural, and/or chemical methods. Control is not exclusively dependent on the use of agricultural chemicals and more industries are gradually appreciating the benefits of an integrated approach, where both chemical and non-chemical treatments are used in an overall control strategy. Cost-effective, safe strategies for pest and diseases control are essential to maintain production efficiency and quality. Current crop management techniques can be some of the simplest control methods. They include practices such as irrigation at strategic times in the growing season, rolling the soil to prevent cracks from forming or just good crop hygiene.