Potato leaf curl: control measures and treatment (photo)

When people discuss potato curl, they try to consider available control measures. But first, it's important to understand why potato tops curl. This condition is characterized by various deformations of the tops. These can manifest suddenly or only become apparent over time. The disease is dangerous if not treated promptly. Stunted growth and a sharp decline in yield are likely. To understand why potato leaves curl, it's necessary to examine the underlying causes.

Potato curl: causes and description

This condition can be caused by various factors, contributing to the deformity. The most common symptoms are swollen, wavy leaves with characteristic dark spots. This is common in the Leningrad region. Soil influences the disease's manifestation. Primarily, a lack of calcium in the soil contributes to the characteristic symptoms.

Damage caused by weed killers

Gardeners often choose chemical weed control products without due caution. This leads to two symptoms:

• pronounced curling of the plant leaves;
• characteristic increase in volume, black spots.

This leads to a halt in tuber development. Their number may be lower than in a healthy potato plant. When choosing high-quality weed control products, don't rush irrigation.

Why else do potato tops curl?

1. Potatoes are often susceptible to various viral and infectious diseases.
2. Most often, the crop suffers from mosaics, which lead to leaf deformation, yellowing of the tops, and their curling towards the vein located in the center.

After this, the plant's growth stops. The bushes fail to reach the size expected for their variety. Those leaves seemingly unaffected by the disease remain small. When digging up the tubers, gardeners discover a small number of tubers, many of which are small or deformed, unsuitable for consumption or for planting next year.

Mosaic disease can manifest itself differently in different varieties. On some, it affects the crop with minimal yield losses, and the tuber quality remains high. However, if potato leaf curl is neglected and treatment is delayed, the disease will progress. Even crops that were previously immune to mosaic viruses will begin to lose tuber quality. The difference between healthy and infected tubers will be noticeable.

Viral infections can accumulate in planting material, leading to gradual degeneration of the potato. This can manifest slowly or rapidly. Once symptoms are detected, viruses, which vary in nature and structure, and their mode of action, can affect fungi and bacteria.

Before figuring out why potato tops curl, it's important to understand how the virus enters the crop. This is most often facilitated by a living organism that feeds on potato leaves. Aphids are a prime example of a virus carrier. Why potatoes curl, what disease it is, and how to treat it are important questions. When delving deeper into the topic of potato curl, it's important to remember that early detection of virus signs can play a significant role in rehabilitating the crop, preserving fruit and yield.

Types of mosaics that cause leaf curling

People often wonder why their potato tops are curly, not considering that the plant may have been infected long ago. The virus often hides in the plant, remaining latent, without exhibiting the usual symptoms.

1. Common and folded. This disease can be caused by three different viruses or a combination of them. Spots of varying shades, from dark to light, appear on the leaves. The disease is also caused by various virus strains. Symptoms can be masked if temperatures are high and the potatoes are exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods.
2. Mottled. Potato leaf curl raises many questions, including how to treat the plant. But determining the type of disease is crucial. A soil-borne fungus is most often the culprit of mottled mosaic, which can go unnoticed due to its mild symptoms. Signs can be identified early in the growing season by the characteristic light spots.
3. Wrinkled and streaky. Curly potato tops can be caused by various factors. Potato curl is often caused by the Y-virus or S-virus, which can cause the disease independently or in combination with other pathogens. Photos can be found online. These mosaics are characterized by angular spots. Vein necrosis is possible. Leaf damage is so severe that they become brittle and vulnerable. Necrosis can kill the stems of the plant and affect the petioles. Wrinkled mosaic is characterized by a significant delay in the formation of new leaves and plant growth. The stems become weak.

Rhizoctonia

When answering the question of what causes potato curl, it's impossible not to mention a fungal disease that causes black, hard spots to form. These can be easily scraped off the tubers. Symptoms of the disease appear on the sprouts as ulcers, which can lead to the death of the affected areas. Poor soil or the presence of fungus in the seed can exacerbate the disease. At harvest, most tubers will be underdeveloped. Crops affected by rhizoctonia rarely survive periods of drought.

Methods of control

Potato curl is a common problem. There's plenty of information online about how to combat the disease and photos of its symptoms.

To eliminate the risk of disease, seed is selected only from healthy bushes. The planting material must be of the highest quality, without the slightest hint of disease.

Pest and weed control is carried out taking into account all stages of the crop's growth cycle. The quality of treatment products must be high. Small and non-varietal tubers are more susceptible to virus infection and are therefore not selected for planting.

Reviews

Sergey:

"I struggled with mosaicism for several years. I tried all sorts of medications until I came across Prestige. Thanks to my neighbor for the helpful advice. I recommend it to everyone."

Irina:

"I've gotten the hang of fighting tuber curl. The key is to use high-quality fertilizer containing potassium at the right time. If the soil is good and the planting material is selected, you can forget about tuber curl."

Valentina:

"I've been wondering for a long time why my potato leaves are curling. The problem has gotten worse each year. This year, we bought new planting material and thoroughly treated it before planting. So far, there haven't been any problems."

Marina:

"I bought a mosaic virus-resistant variety for planting, but I couldn't avoid the disease until I changed the fertilizer and used Prestige the following year."