News Arable
After high mold pressure, now pest pressure in Germany
There is much less phytophthora pressure this season than last season. This growing year is more characterized by drought. That also brings its own problems. Partly due to high pressure from the glassy leafhopper, the JRC, the scientific bureau of the European Commission, lowered the yield forecast for the European potato harvest.
Would you like to continue reading this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits youOn average, the potatoes are doing reasonably well. With an average yield expectation of 37,1 tonnes per hectare, the JRC estimates the yield in the June Mars bulletin to be 2% above the five-year average. Compared to the May edition, the yield estimate for potatoes has been reduced by 1 percentage point.
The biggest adjustment was for Germany. The JRC now calculates a yield of 42,8 tonnes per hectare. For comparison: last season the yield was 45 tonnes per hectare according to the JRC. The JRC mentions the high disease pressure, especially in the south of Germany, as the main reason for the reduction. Incidentally, this problem does not only occur with potatoes but also with other crops.
The German farmers' association DBV sounded the alarm this week about the now widespread glasswing leafhopper. DBV calls the situation for potatoes, sugar beets and various field vegetables such as onions, beetroot and red cabbage challenging. Damage caused by the insect itself is limited, but the diseases it transmits lead to considerable yield and quality losses. "The leafhopper poses a real threat to our agriculture and food security. The species has spread from Baden-Württemberg via Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and Hesse, further north. Other federal states, such as Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, are now also affected," writes Joachim Rukwied, chairman of the DBV.