Content
Every year, gardeners across the country struggle with the Colorado potato beetle. Specialized stores offer a huge selection of drugs for this pest. Often gardeners have to experiment for a long time to find an effective remedy. Many have chosen the drug "Prestige" How exactly this substance differs from other means, and how to use it correctly, we will see below.
Description of the drug
"Prestige" is a concentrated suspension that must be diluted immediately before use. The product consists of two main substances:
- pencicuron in the amount of 150 grams per liter;
- imidacloprid in the amount of 140 grams per liter.
The first substance is a pesticide, but at the same time it perfectly fights various fungi. This way you can not only get rid of beetles, but also prevent diseases. Imidacloprid belongs to the chloronicotinyl class. These are substances with a rapid mechanism of action.
After planting the tubers, moisture carries the substance throughout the soil. Thus, a protective shell is formed around the bushes. Growing tops also absorb the product.By treating the potatoes before planting, you don’t have to worry about the appearance of beetles during the entire growing season. In addition, potatoes are protected from diseases such as brown rust, rot and powdery mildew.
The drug also helps potatoes tolerate hot weather and changing weather conditions more easily. In addition, “Prestige” has an effect on the growth of bushes and even tubers. Treatment with this product helps to grow potatoes with excellent presentation.
How does Prestige work?
As mentioned above, the drug contains 2 main components. Imidacloprid is aimed at controlling Colorado potato beetles. This substance enters the pest’s body and completely paralyzes it. Due to the damaged nervous system, the insect simply dies. But pencikuron is responsible for the health of the bushes. It is an excellent fungicide that prevents plants from contracting fungus.
It is enough to use the product once to forget about beetles for the whole season. To do this, before planting, you should treat the potato tubers with the preparation. Please note that “Prestige” does not protect bushes from wireworms. The instructions indicate that the substance also acts on this pest, however, the experience of gardeners shows that this is not the case.
Many people are concerned about the safety of this product for human health. We can say with confidence that the substance will not harm you. The fact is that the drug accumulates in the upper part of the plant, but does not remain in the tubers themselves.
Most gardeners who have tested this substance in practice confirm its antifungal properties. The drug not only protects planted tubers, but also remains in the soil for 2 months, serving as protection for both potatoes and other plants growing nearby.
Instructions for use
“Prestige” for the Colorado potato beetle is used before planting potatoes to treat seed or seedlings. The solution should be prepared immediately before treatment. In this case, the drug is diluted in the following ratio:
- 50 ml of product;
- 3 liters of water.
The solution is mixed well and the procedure begins. This amount is enough to process about 50 kilograms of potatoes. The tubers must be evenly placed on the film or roofing felt. In order for the product to be well distributed during application, the layer should be no more than 2-3 potatoes. After this, using a Prestige spray bottle, spray the potatoes so that the substance covers at least a quarter of each tuber. If the solution cannot be applied well, you can turn the potatoes over and repeat the procedure. The better the sprayer, the better the product will be applied.
The instructions for use do not indicate whether cut potatoes can be processed. However, most experienced gardeners do not advise doing this. Before processing, the tubers must be removed from the cellar and placed in a warm place so that the potatoes warm up. It should also be slightly sprouted. After applying the product, the tubers should stand for 2 hours.
Potatoes must be moved to the site after the procedure in a bag. Processing seed material with “Prestige” helps to destroy all pathogens, various infections and microorganisms. In addition, the drug increases the immunity of potatoes throughout the entire growth period.
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Some gardeners process the tubers even before germination, about 2 weeks before planting. To do this, mix 1.2 liters of water with 60 ml of the drug. The mixture is sprayed in the same way as in the previous case. After the tubers have dried, they are moved to a place convenient for germination. It is important to consider that before planting it is also necessary to spray the tubers again, as in the first case. Such preparation will significantly increase the stability of potatoes and protect them from the Colorado potato beetle.
Some gardeners are accustomed to growing potatoes using seedlings. In this case, you can also carry out treatment with the “Prestige” product. To prepare the solution, take 2 liters of water and 20 ml of the drug. The roots of the finished seedlings are dipped into the prepared mixture and left for about 8 hours. Immediately after the time has passed, the seedlings are planted in open ground.
Safety precautions
"Prestige" is classified as class three in terms of toxicity. Such substances are harmful to the human body. To reduce the effect of the drug, it is necessary to follow safety rules during the preparation and use of the substance. To do this, put gloves on your hands, wear rubber boots, and you will also need respiratory protection. Clothing should cover the entire body, a protective face mask and a hat will also be useful.
The procedure should only be carried out in calm weather.This way, the substance will not get into the surrounding plants or animals. At the end of the procedure, all clothes are washed, as well as equipment. Then you need to thoroughly rinse your nose and throat. Be sure to take a shower.
Disadvantages of the drug and rules for its storage
This product works well against the Colorado potato beetle, however, you should not turn a blind eye to some disadvantages or nuances:
- "Prestige" cannot be used to process early potatoes. As mentioned above, harmful substances are completely released from the fruit only after 2 months. Therefore, the drug is more suitable for processing mid-season and late-season potatoes.
- Due to the toxicity of the drug, it is recommended to use it only if no other less harmful substances help.
- The original drug is quite expensive, so some manufacturers have begun to produce counterfeits. You should be careful and not be fooled by low prices. The official manufacturer of Prestige is Bayer.
The substance is stored in a dry place at a temperature not lower than -20°C and not higher than +40°C. It must be in its original packaging, away from small children and animals. The shelf life of the product is no more than two years.
Conclusion
Gardeners spend a lot of time and effort fighting the Colorado potato beetle. “Prestige” is an excellent product that simultaneously kills pests and protects plants from fungi. Of course, like any other poison, this poison from the Colorado potato beetle contains substances harmful to human health. Therefore, you should be very careful when using this product.
Reviews
I, of course, do not believe in the harmlessness of the drug. But either treat it with a disinfectant, or get 15-20% of the possible harvest. But in addition to planting, you need to weed, and water, and hill up, and everything else, but in the end it’s a shame to get a dummy. Until we find another solution other than Prestige, anything is better than spraying poison during the growth of tops and tubers, I think. And the effect of such processing is small.
For several years in a row I have been saving my potatoes and not only with the help of Pristige.Whoever says that it doesn’t help, or uses it incorrectly, or buys a fake. The only thing that “saves” my potatoes is Prestige. I plant completely different varieties of potatoes, and before planting I treat them with Pristige and let them dry, and only then plant them. Not only are there no Colorado potato beetles, there are also no aphids and all other diseases.