Oregon Tilth documentary - Part 12

This video features two speakers, both discussing the pest that effect potato crops. The first speaker focuses on root-knot nematode. These pests bury themselves into the tuber and causes unsightly bumps. The bumps are considered a quality defect and can greatly affect the marketability of the potato product. To deal with the pests without pesticides, cover crops such as sudangrass and rapeseed are used as they are particularly effective in suppression. The second speaker outlines to the two types of flea larvae that are especially damaging to Western Oregon potato crops. They are the cabbage flea beetle and the cucumber seed flea beetle. Their larvae feed on the potato plants and can cause massive profit loss. One of the ways that the pests are being dealt with is the use of parasitic nematodes. The video ends with shots of damage that these pests can cause and fields of young potato plants.

Digitized from a Umatic original held in the Oregon Tilth Records (MSS OrTilth), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries. Original tape is labeled "Tilth Documentary 12."