Alarm in the fields: Zikade threatens potato harvest in OPR!

Alarm in the fields: Zikade threatens potato harvest in OPR!

Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Deutschland - In the fields in Germany, an unpleasant visitor is bought, which endangers the potato and vegetable harvest: the reeds of glass wi cigade. This pest about one centimeter tall feeds on the juice of tuber and root plants such as sugar beet and potatoes. According to Maz-online.de The Zikade transmits the dreaded plant disease Stolbur, which not only leads to loss of earnings, but also affects the quality of the harvest.

The effects of this threat are enormous. "We are talking about dramatic consequences and possible losses," warns Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen, the chairman of the district farmers' association Ostprignitz-Ruppin. The fact that the zikade has already reached southern Saxony-Anhalt has the mood in the growing areas tilted. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture also admits that there are currently no short -term measures to combat the zikade. The approval of pesticides usually lasts several years, whereby emergency illnesses can only help at short notice, such as "https://www.bmel.de/de/themen/landwirtschaft/pflanzenschutz/zulation.html" Class = "Source_3"> Federal Ministry of Agriculture confirmed.

Stolbur: An unpleasant companion for agriculture

The stolbur bacterium transmitted by the zicade damages sugar beet, potatoes, but also numerous other vegetables. Paspolence is often the result, which massively restricts the storability of the affected plants. This development leads to a worrying doubling of the cultivation area for sugar beet, which is now more than 75,000 hectares and thus affects a quarter of the entire German cultivation area, such as Euronews.com reported. The consequences are not only worrying for farmers; Consumers also have to prepare for rising prices, since Germany needs 11 to 12 million tons of potatoes every year.

As the farmers' associations make it clear, the situation is urgent. Joachim Rukwied, President of the German Farmers' Association, calls for short -term solutions to contain the spread of the cicada. The criticized handling of the Ministry of Agriculture shows how little need for action is perceived in the eyes of the decision -makers.

The reactions on site

The concerns of farmers are understandable. "We now have to build a close-meshed monitoring," demands Holger Hanke from Emsland Starke-Gesellschaft. The potato producers in the region, including farmers such as Ralf Schüller and Steffen Gröger, are still calm and have so far not dealt intensively with the topic, but the situation is no reason for negligence. Because while the cicade spreads, the yields of the next harvest can be at risk.

In summary, it can be said that a serious pest is on the move with the reed glass winged cigade. The focus is now on the search for solutions, both for the breeders and for consumers, who may be felt the consequences of the disease in the form of higher prices. The pressure to find effective measures is growing - both on the political and on the agricultural level.