Control measures

Insecticides can be effective in preventing the development of aphid populations within the potato crop. For the production of ware or processed potatoes, the use of aphicides is only required in the case of high infestation. Insecticides are also used on seed potato crops to prevent or to reduce the transmission of persistent viruses, such as the Potato leaf roll virus, because the delay is long enough to kill aphids before they can transmit such viruses. Some species, such as M. persicæ and A. gossypii, have developed resistance to a number of organophosphates and/or carbamates.

However, insecticides give little protection against the transmission of non-persistent viruses, (PVY, PVA, PVM or PVS). Control methods for non-persistent viruses include monitoring aphid populations by means of traps (field yellow traps or suction traps of regional impact, e.g. the EXAMINE network), repeated applications of mineral oils to reduce virus transmission and appropriate cultivation methods (seed quality, planting time, roguing, haulm destruction, etc.).