15 replies to this topic

[Greasy6020]

Digging this years potatoes, they have a bunch of holes.

We had potato beetles but we dusted them with sevin dust twice. Manure gets spread every year, probably 2 or 3 loads over an area 60 by 200 or so...

Grandpa has never seen anything like it, he's farmed the ground this happened in all his life.

Any ideas what this is?

[chieffan]

Termites?  They ate the heck out of our Musk Mellon one year till we got them on plastic coffee can lids.

[Rock farmer]

Bugs!
Maybe too much manure?
I get them too.

Joe

[MH81]

Do you guys have click beetles up there?
Wireworms do damage like that down here. They grow up to be click beetles

[propane1]

Ear wigs maybe the one, or Wire worm. But not that big of hole. Maybe if they grow. Hard to get rid of , I'm told, the wire worm. Picture of a wire worm in one of my potatoes 3 weeks ago. Believe it or not, but foxes will dig up potatoes and eat them, or try to.
I have seen that before, but just can't pin point it. Colorado potatoe bug won't do that.
Larvae type bugs may do that. June bug type, maybe. Skunks and crowd dig up that stuff and ruin the grass

Noel

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Edited by propane1, August 06, 2016 - 07:59 PM.

[shorty]

Did you have a wet or dry summer up there? In the back of my mind, I remember my parents having that problem in a wet year. They have a heavy clay soil which can lock moisture.

[skyrydr2]

I have seen that as well. But it was only really prevalent when we used manure freshly spread and planted down thru it.
I only use organic granulated stuff now,10-10-10 down first,covered lightly then seed taters and Hill them in. Then when they pop out I give them a hard core Hilling then let them run their corse spraying them usually 2 times with Spinosad mixed with a little bit of Neem oil to make the stuff stick. Both are organic and smell decent so you don't mind spraying them. Oh it is very VERY effective on them tater bugs... but it's also $$$ if you have a large field of spuds.. Best price I have found is about $3 a gallon mixed.

[propane1]

My potatoe bug killer. No ifs, maybes, couldbes, shouldbes, guaranteed dead bugs.

Noel

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[Greasy6020]

Did you have a wet or dry summer up there? In the back of my mind, I remember my parents having that problem in a wet year. They have a heavy clay soil which can lock moisture.

Wet, very wet, with sandy clay

[Greasy6020]

Thanks everyone!!

[MH81]

I showed Mom and she said its probably a fungus.

You need to dry them very well before you put them in storage.  Also, need to do small breathable bags... like onion bags etc.

She said if it's a fungus, the rot will spread like wild fire if not dry.  

[Greasy6020]

I showed Mom and she said its probably a fungus.
You need to dry them very well before you put them in storage. Also, need to do small breathable bags... like onion bags etc.
She said if it's a fungus, the rot will spread like wild fire if not dry.

Let your mom know I said thank you!

We store our taters in milk crates, like the plastic ones...

Edited by Greasy6020, August 07, 2016 - 08:37 PM.

[MH81]

Don't stack to close, maybe even spacers between and a fan for a few days and once in a while for an hour.

[BTS]

It could be a pill bug (roly poly), they will eat potatoes and it looks a lot like the damage in your picture.

[propane1]

Ants, is another thing that will eat them.

Noel