Threatening Sugar Beets and Potatoes: A Cicada's Aggressive Approach to Feeding Habits
Title: The menacing pest Cicada and the threat it poses to Germany's crops and consumers
Hey there! Let's chat about the tiny, pesky insect causing big fuss in German agriculture - Cicada! You know those firm, rubbery beets and unappetizing potatoes? This little bugger is largely responsible.
First off, what's the deal with this critter? The cicada delivers a bite that transmits the bacterium Candidatus Phytoplasma solani, causing the disease named Stolbur. Veggies infected by this disease wilt and their roots/tubers become rubbery as hell, yuck! Yield decreases, the taste ain't the same, and in severe infestations, the crops are simply unprocessable and unfit for storage.
Sugar beets and potatoes have taken the brunt of the damage so far, but it doesn't stop there. Onions, celery, red beets, cabbage, carrots, rhubarb, and even peppers are also victims of this pest. Frighteningly, young people in Germany are finding rubbery, infection-marred spuds when they thought they were digging up the healthiest crop available.
Now, regarding the humble potato, it's a staple ingrained in our countryside. Around 65,000 hectares are at risk, that's about a quarter of the total potato-growing area in Deutschland. The warmer south has been particularly plagued by this problem. Wilting potatoes have made an unsettling appearance from Karlsruhe to the Hohenlohe Ebene, and from Heilbronn via Ludwigsburg to Stuttgart, and it's spreading.
On the map, the cicada has hitchhiked from Baden-Württemberg via Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, and Hesse across the entire Bundesrepublik. The picture isn't rosy in Lower Saxony, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, either. It's found that regions growing sugar beets, potatoes, and veggies together have attracted its attention.
Brace yourselves, folks - the bad news doesn't end here. Reports state that none of these infected crops have been put on the market, and luckily, so far, there's no evidence that Stolbur could pose a risk to human health. But, with this spread, consumers just might find fewer German potatoes on their plates this fall.
The financial crisis faced by farmers due to this pest can't be ignored. Damages reach into millions and could lead to total failure for some farmers. Affected crops can't be sold, planting material is useless, and that's not including the additional costs to sort and dispose of damaged produce.
The BVL, Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, allows the use of unapproved plant protection products through an emergency approval to combat such pests like the cicada, albeit under strict conditions.
In conclusion, farmers are calling for quick action from the authorities. They need effective means to control the cicadas and are pushing for research on resistance breeding to limit its impact in the future. Plenty of work needs to be done to protect Deutsche Ackerbauer and ensure a steady supply of delicious, rubber-free veggies for us consumers. Keep an eye on this pesky pest; it's shaping up to be the agricultural challenge of the coming years.
(Enrichment Data)Stolbur causes significant losses in crop yields and quality, threatening the availability and quality of vegetables in Germany. Moreover, it severely impacts farmer livelihoods and potentially leads to price fluctuations. The reed glass-winged cicada, the primary spreader of Stolbur, is favored by climate change and imperils various crops. Research on resistance breeding and implementing disease management strategies are critical to mitigate these impacts.
- The cicada, a small insect, delivers a bite that transmits Candidatus Phytoplasma solani, causing Stolbur, a disease that affects crop health.
- Sugar beets and potatoes have suffered the most damage from Stolbur, but onions, celery, red beets, cabbage, carrots, rhubarb, and peppers are also affected.
- Young people in Germany have found rubbery, infection-marred spuds when they thought they were digging up the healthiest crop available.
- Around 65,000 hectares of potatoes are at risk, about a quarter of the total potato-growing area in Deutschland.
- The cicada has spread across the entire Bundesrepublik, causing wilting potatoes to appear in various regions like Karlsruhe, Hohenlohe Ebene, Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart, and more.
- The financial crisis faced by farmers due to cicada infestations can reach into millions, potentially leading to total failure for some farmers.
- Affected crops can't be sold, and planting material becomes useless, incurring additional costs to sort and dispose of damaged produce.
- The BVL, Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, allows the use of unapproved plant protection products under strict conditions to combat pests like the cicada.
- Farmers are calling for quick action from the authorities to control the cicadas and are pushing for research on resistance breeding to limit its impact in the future.
- Plenty of work needs to be done to protect Deutsche Ackerbauer and ensure a steady supply of delicious, rubber-free veggies for consumers.
- Stolbur causes significant losses in crop yields and quality, threatening the availability and quality of vegetables in Germany.
- Moreover, it severely impacts farmer livelihoods and potentially leads to price fluctuations.
- The reed glass-winged cicada, the primary spreader of Stolbur, is favored by climate change and imperils various crops.
- Research on resistance breeding and implementing disease management strategies are critical to mitigate these impacts.
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