Potato Leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) Feeding Damage at Various Potato Growth Stages

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Abstract
The effects of potato leafhopper ( Empoasca fabae [Harris]) infestations on the relative rate of photosynthesis and tuber yields of potatoes were studied in 1983 at the Hancock Experiment Station, Hancock, Wis. Cages were erected over plants to aid in creating known PLH infestation levels during specific postemergence growth stages of a short and long maturing cultivar, represented by ‘Superior’ and ‘Russet Burbank,’ respectively. Photosynthesis was reduced by infestations at all growth stages, but this effect was more pronounced in the bloom and postbloom growth stages, since rapid vine growth following prebloom infestations allowed plants to generate new foliage following infestation. The slower recovery of photosynthesis after bloom and postbloom infestations was reflected in significantly lower tuber yields of ‘Superior.’