What's eating my purple majesty potato?

Purple Majesty potato faces the same solanaceous pest trio as other varieties: Colorado potato beetle decimates foliage, aphids vector devastating viruses, and wireworms ruin tubers. Its purple pigmentation (anthocyanins) offers no pest resistance. Start with certified seed, rotate beds annually, and scout daily during the beetle's peak flight in early summer.

Rapid total defoliation by striped adults and bright-orange larvae; plants fail to form tubers if hit early Hand-pick all life stages; apply spinosad or Bt tenebrionis early; rotate fields/beds every season

Yellowing, curled leaves; mosaic virus and potato leafroll virus spread via aphid feeding reducing yield Use certified virus-free seed tubers; spray insecticidal soap; introduce parasitic wasps; remove heavily infested shoots

Click-beetle larvae bore into developing tubers leaving tunnels that allow secondary rots to enter Avoid newly turned sod; pre-plant bait stations (carrot pieces) to detect levels; apply Steinernema nematodes