It is very disappointing to share a hard-grown potato crop with various pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, which eats leaves, and the wireworm, which sharpens tubers. In order to protect their plants, gardeners put in a lot of effort (like picking beetles by hand) and use all kinds of insecticides produced by the chemical industry. A modern remedy for pest control is the Potato Taboo.

What is this remedy

Tabu is the name of a potato dressing agent, the manufacturer of which is the largest Russian company for the production of chemical agents for the protection of vegetables and fruits in orchards and vegetable gardens. The main purpose for which this drug is used is the destruction of various potato enemies: colorada, wireworm, ground beetle, fleas and cicadas, aphids, winter scoops and a number of others.

Colorado potato beetle - the main potato pest

The basis of Tabu for potato treatment is an insecticidal substance of the neonicotinoid class imidacloprid. The content of this chemical compound in "Tabu" is 0.5 kg per 1 liter of solution, which makes the composition only slightly harmful to humans, but completely fatal to insects. After entering the food tract of pests, the chemical almost instantly paralyzes their nerve endings, which causes subsequent death.

Note! Due to the immaturity of the nervous system in children, the active ingredient "Tabu" (imidacloprid) can harm it by excessively slowing down neural activity.

The dressing agent contains as auxiliary substances:

  • anti-freeze additive;
  • surface-active chemicals for better grinding of drug particles (dispersants);
  • substances causing thickening and sticking;
  • wetting agent;
  • paints (they give the treated tubers a characteristic shade).

The physical state in which Tabu is sold as a fertilizer for potatoes most resembles a concentrated water-based suspension. This gruel must be diluted with water as soon as possible.

The drug can be purchased in 1 liter packaging in bottles or in cans of 5 and 10 liters for large agricultural producers, as well as in opaque bottles (ampoules) of 10 ml.

Packaging "Tabu" in 5-liter canisters

Undiluted chemical has a bright pink color and a thick consistency.

How Tabu works

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With the Tabu preparation for processing potatoes according to the instructions, a single treatment is enough to achieve reliable protection of potato bushes at the most important stage - germination. "Taboo" begins to counteract pests that spoil potatoes, just a day after the treatment was carried out.

Note! The activity of the remedy is gradually increasing, and with the greatest strength "Tabu" acts for 1.5-2 months.

When planting potatoes, the taboo is applied to the tubers themselves, so the active substance is absorbed into them, due to which the roots acquire a characteristic pinkish color. Insecticide along the sap-moving canals of the stems also passes into the shoots and tops of the processed potatoes, so sprouted potatoes are also not to the taste of the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm.The mechanism of action of the dressing agent is that when insect pests enter the body, the active substance of the drug suppresses their nervous activity, as a result of which the insect dies from paralysis in a day.

Processing methods

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It is necessary to process the tubers exactly on the day when the fresh Tabu solution is prepared, because it is not recommended to store a ready-made (on water) suspension for more than a day. When preparing a solution, first dilute the drug in the volume of a glass, and then add the remaining water. Based on the experience of gardeners, one and a half liters of ready-made solution is enough to process more than 120 tubers ready for planting.

Additional Information. If you plan to plant a smaller amount, you can dilute with water the volume of the disinfectant that fits in the cap of the bottle - 2.5 ml.

The instructions for use for potatoes attached to the Tabu preparation recommends spreading the potatoes intended for spraying in one row on a firm horizontal platform, and then thoroughly spray with the shaken Tabu solution. Periodically, the tubers should be turned in different directions in order to achieve an even coverage of them with a protective insecticide film, this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the sprouts on the surface of the potatoes.

Processing potatoes before planting in the ground

Immediately, processed potatoes cannot be planted in the ground - they need to dry out to form a thin film, which will remain even when the root crops are placed in the planting holes. They should be immediately covered with earth, because from prolonged exposure to direct ultraviolet radiation, the effectiveness of the Tabu protective agent can dramatically decrease.

Potato Tabu Treater is also a preparation that can be used for treating soil, especially those infected with wireworm larvae. The rate of dilution of the suspension with this method is different: based on one hundred square meters of land for 10 liters of water, 4 ml of "Tabu" is taken. So, with one 10-milliliter bottle, brought to 25 liters of working solution, it is possible to pickle more than 2.5 acres of future potato beds.

Initially, the grooves are dug where the potatoes will be planted. Then, strictly according to the instructions, the suspension itself is prepared in the required volume and filled into the spray apparatus.

Note: Both the furrow itself and the later potatoes planted in it are etched.

You can independently calculate the required dose of Tabu for your potato field or garden. The area of ​​the plot in hundred parts is quadrupled, this will be the volume of the chemical diluted with water. And the required volume of water is found by increasing the number of acres tenfold.

Both methods are quite effective, the difference is only in the concentration of the solution and the amount of work carried out.

Ensuring safety during processing

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The drug "Tabu" is a chemical with a toxic effect (the active substance is imidacloprid, has a third class of toxicity), which affects not only insect pests, but also humans. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to take measures to protect your health:

  • put on protective overalls, a face mask and rubber gloves on your hands; after completion of work, all protective clothing must be thoroughly washed with soap or soda solution;

When processing potatoes with the "Tabu" preparation, personal protection measures must be observed

  • completely isolate food and water from the room where the tubers are processed, the best way out is to spray potatoes in the open air;
  • do not drink or eat while dressing tubers or soil.

If, nevertheless, toxins from the dressing agent have entered the body, coordination disorder, an enlarged liver, sudden weight loss, respiratory failure, trembling hands and eye swelling may occur.If these symptoms appear, you should see a doctor immediately and have an urgent detoxification performed.

 

Advantages and disadvantages of the drug

An insecticidal agent - Tabu dressing agent has a number of positive and negative qualities. Among the advantages are:

  • it is convenient to work with it - it is easy to dilute the aqueous suspension from the concentrate to the desired working condition, while there is no allergenic dust (like powder dressing agents), and no sediment of the agent in the spray container;
  • thanks to special additives in the composition of the product, "Tabu" spreads over the tubers, evenly covering the entire treated surface, while no smudges are formed;
  • the processed tubers turn pink, so it is easy to assess the work done and the amount of work ahead;
  • excellent and long-lasting (the entire growing season) acts against the main potato enemies: the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm larvae, the drug completely disappears from the potato 2 months after treatment;
  • the chemical "Tabu" is sold in any store for a summer residence and a vegetable garden, the kit also includes a short and intelligible instruction for breeding and using the product;
  • insect pests do not develop addiction to the drug for a long time, so it can be used constantly for five to six years in a row;

It protects potato tops even during heavy rains and droughts, as the product is immune to external influences.

 

There are also several disadvantages:

  • First of all, this is its unsafeness for the health of the person carrying out the treatment, which bears the need to take protective measures (for example, wear gloves and a respirator) and subsequent detoxification (although the instructions say about the non-toxicity of "Taboo" for humans);
  • There is also a slight inconvenience when diluting the drug: from a 10 ml bottle, according to the instructions, 8 ml must be used, it turns out that 2 ml are simply not needed - this is not a very economical consumption. In addition, the bottle is opaque, without measuring divisions, so it is difficult to measure the very 8 ml of the product; you have to resort to tricks, such as using a medical syringe without a needle;
  • The price of the drug is rather high in comparison with similar chemicals. Last year (2017) the cost of a 10 ml bottle was about 150 rubles, a 5-liter canister will cost 3-3.5 thousand rubles;
  • The chemical "Tabu" should be stored tightly packed, in places inaccessible to children;
  • Spraying potatoes is highly recommended only in calm weather in order to avoid the ingress of the insecticidal composition on neighboring plants.

Which remedy to prefer

Potato growers can now find a wide variety of insecticide products to protect their crops. The most famous of them are the Russian drug Tabu and the imported drug of the previous generation, Prestige. Having considered the advantages and disadvantages of these dressing agents, each gardener decides for himself what is better Prestige or Taboo to protect his potatoes.

The chemical compositions of both drugs are quite similar, but at the same time they cannot be considered analogs, they can also be used together in the same area. There are constant debates between summer residents which chemical is correct and which is not very good.

Competitor "Tabu" in the potato field - the drug "Prestige"

Both products belong to the third class of toxicity, which entails the need to protect the skin and respiratory organs of workers. The active substance, imidacloprid, disappears within 2 months after treatment, both in the first and second versions of the dressing agent. However, Tabu protects potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle for 1.5 months, while Prestige protects them for 37 days, a weekly difference.

According to the parameters of protection against wireworm, these preparations are equivalent, and both of them are unsuitable for spraying potatoes of fast-growing varieties. "Prestige" can also be used to protect crops from fungal infections, "Tabu" is not capable of this. But they can pickle the soil before planting potatoes."Prestige" has a positive effect on the growth and development of new tubers and tops of potatoes.

Additional information! Means "Tabu" is cheaper than "Prestige", the number of recommended treatments for tubers is the same for both preparations - a single spraying is enough.

Reviews of summer residents and gardeners about the new Tabu treater are mostly positive. Although some are afraid to spray the soil itself, after a single treatment of the tubers before planting, they note the complete absence of the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm and even cicadas on the potatoes, although the neighboring crop suffered greatly from them.

Processing potatoes before planting is a procedure that helps protect future crops from pests, especially the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm. Folk remedies are being replaced by modern chemical preparations, one of which is Tabu. This dressing agent can treat not only the tubers themselves, but also the soil before planting. This effective remedy, even after one treatment, reliably protects potatoes from pests for the entire growing season.

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