Vigicultures ® observation protocol for potato

Vigicultures ® observation protocol for potato

This protocol presents methods for monitoring of diseases and animal pests on potato, at the field scale. The following pests are observed (different levels and methods of observation are sometimes used for one given pest):

  • Slugs
  • Aphids
  • Potato wireworm
  • Adult potato wireworm
  • Colorado potato beetle
  • Potato tuber moth
  • Potato stem borer, defoliating caterpillars
  • Leafhoppers
  • Downy mildew
  • Early blight of potato
  • Botrytis blight
  • Root rot
  • Weeds (depends on the region)

3 sorts of natural enemies are also observed:

  • Chrysophids
  • Coccinellids
  • Hymenoptera

Use/context:

Vigicultures ® is a user-friendly and quick information system on pest pressure created by four French technical institutes: Arvalis-Institut du végétal (cereals, legume crops, potato, maize, fodder crops), CETIOM (oleaginous crops), ITB (sugar beet, fodder beet) and ITL (flax).
The objectives of the system are a real-time identification and monitoring of the pests, an evaluation of the risks for the crops and information allowing farmers and field operators to target crop protection interventions. Information is collected according to harmonised protocols by observers belonging to regional networks, and stored in a database. The information is used in the agricultural advertisements “Bulletin de Santé du Vegetal” (plant health reports).
The protocol presented here is used for data collection at the local level.

Authors: Pierre Taupin, Denis Gaucher, Delphine Bouttet, Cyril Hannon, Violaine Jaunâtre (checked by : Danièle Simonneau).

Date de modification : 25 avril 2023 | Date de création : 06 janvier 2014 | Rédaction : IPM network