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28 POTATO GROWER | MAY 2018 Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In PEST MANAGEMEN | By Michael Larose & Manuel Campos BioSafe Systems Innovations in the management of Colorado potato beetle Arms Race In the 2015 film The Martian, Matt Damon played Mark Watney, an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars and must overcome an overwhelming list of obstacles to survive. (Don't worry, I'm not giving any spoilers.) Those of us in the industry who enjoy seeing potatoes placed strategically in a movie can remember vividly that iconic moment in the film when Watney successfully cultivates on the surface of Mars one of Earth's oldest and most trusted food sources—the potato! Those who saw the movie remember the relief they felt for the stranded astronaut as he celebrated the sprouting of his first potato crop, at one point poignantly stating, "I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist on the planet." It didn't take long for astronaut-turned-potato grower to eat his words, watching his entire potato crop go from thriving to dying in the blink of an eye after a disaster destroys his crop. Yes, I'm grasping at straws and taking dramatic liberties to create a relevant story on the "trials and tribulations" of growing a healthy, quality potato crop, but there's a lot of truth behind what Watney experienced and what earthling potato growers experience season to season. At the end of the day, the good Lord and Mother Nature will always ensure growing any crop, especially potatoes, will never occur without trials and tribulations. Mark Watney did have one advantage over earthling potato producers: He didn't have to manage a wide range of pathogen and pest pressure that have plagued potato growers across the globe. One little critter that has become the most invasive and devastating insect pest to ever affect potato production across the globe has been making headlines recently: the Colorado potato beetle. WHY SO DEVASTATING? The most challenging trait of the Colorado potato beetle is its ability to develop rapid resistance to conventional insecticide programs. The species can develop rapid resistance thanks to a variety of biological mechanisms, including enhanced metabolism, target site insensitivity, reduced insecticide penetration and increased excretion of toxins. Many conventional insecticides have shown rapid reduction in efficacy, with different Colorado potato beetle populations around the globe developing documented resistance to an estimated 56 different conventional insecticides compounds. A few examples of common chemistries against which Colorado potato beetles have exhibited resistance include carbamates, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids/pyrethrins and neonicotinoids. What may be the scariest yet most impressive adaptation is the beetles' perceived development of behavioral resistance, which researchers are still striving to understand in order to develop best practices to provide multiple methods of prevention. As of today, resistance management practices are the most critical tool for effective control of Colorado potato beetles. These practices require a combination of cultural, biological and chemical strategies to maintain consistent management of larval and adult populations. The first step in preventing mass outbreaks in production fields is pest monitoring and establishing thresholds based on local extension guidelines in respective regions, with many educational resources suggesting chemical application when thresholds reach 15 adults, 75 small larvae or 30 large larvae per 50 plants. Several cultural controls can be employed and have proven effective in reducing Colorado potato beetle incidence and severity. These include crop