Millions in Damage: Cicada-Caused Soft Potatoes Pose Risk to Harvest
Commission Urges Proposal for Environmental Protection Directive from European Commission
When it comes to soft potatoes, southern German farmers have been facing the consequences for the past year. The culprit? The plant disease Stolbur, which isn't just affecting potatoes—sugar beets and veggies like onions are also in the line of fire. The outbreak is no joke; farmers are experiencing significant losses that reach up to total failure in some cases, and climate change isn't making things easier.
The reed glass-winged cicada, a sneaky spreader of Stolbur, is the main suspect. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Baden-Württemberg, local produce like potatoes, vegetables, and sugar is at risk in southern Germany, with an estimated damage of millions. Some farmers are even questioning their decision to continue cultivation.
Just as sugar beets gave way to softness, so too did potatoes, and now onions, celery, beets, cabbage, carrots, and sometimes rhubarb and peppers. The reed glass-winged cicada is the common thread, transmitting the disease that causes the infected crops to wilt and turn rubbery. This doesn't just lower their yield, but also affects their taste and quality, such as decreased sugar content. In severe cases, Stolbur-infected crops cannot be processed or stored.
The bacterium Candidatus Phytoplasma solani is the villain behind Stolbur, creating quite a ruckus in the agricultural world. The disease has been escalating, with sugar beet areas in Germany jumping from 40,000 hectares in 2023 to at least 75,000 hectares last year, according to the farmers’ association—a whopping quarter of the nation’s cultivation area for this vital staple food.
Potatoes are a critical commodity for self-sufficiency in Germany, and currently, around 65,000 hectares are at risk from the reed glass-winged cicada. But the severity of the problem varies across regions and depends heavily on weather conditions. In the warmer south, cicada-related issues have become quite prominent, with soft potatoes being spotted as early as 2024 in areas ranging from Karlsruhe to the Hohenloher Ebene, and from Heilbronn via Ludwigsburg to Stuttgart.
The geographical reach of the reed glass-winged cicada isn't limited to Baden-Württemberg. It has managed to extend its territory throughout Germany, with other regions like Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt also under its grasp. The southwest, in particular, is bearing the brunt of the outbreak in terms of spread and economic consequences.
Want to keep those pesky garden pests away without chemicals? Steer clear of cucumbers and coffee grounds, and consider using rapeseed oil instead.
As of now, local authorities and associations have no evidence that 'Stolbur' is harmful to humans. Even potatoes and vegetables with a rubbery consistency or signs of spoilage do not make it to the market. But if the disease keeps spreading, consumers might find themselves facing a reduced selection of domestic potatoes come fall.
However, the real losers in this situation are farmers. The spread of the pest causes substantial losses, sometimes even total failures, in the affected crops. Affected potatoes and vegetables are not accepted for sale, and planting material cannot be reused. Plus, increased sorting efforts and disposal result in additional damage. Last year, for instance, the state farmers' association reported culture losses of up to 25% in all relevant beetroot-growing areas and up to 70% in potato-growing in Baden-Württemberg. In some farms, the continuation of cultivation is at risk.
Despite the challenges, there seems to be a glimmer of hope: the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety can permit the use of unapproved plant protection products during emergency situations. But farmers are urgently calling on politics to intervene quickly. They're pressuring for the implementation of effective means for cicada control and support for research on resistance breeding.
As Stefan Streng, chairman of the Economic Association Sugar, puts it, the reed glass-winged cicada is likely to be the major agricultural challenge of the coming years. “We urgently need help with this issue.”
- The spread of the reed glass-winged cicada, a prolific transmitter of Stolbur disease, has posed a significant threat to various foodstuffs such as potatoes, vegetables, and sugar beets in southern Germany, causing millions in damage and potentially reducing domestic food availability.
- In the realm of environmental science and health-and-wellness, understanding the impact of climate change on the proliferation of agricultural pests like the reed glass-winged cicada could be crucial in devising strategies to combat such outbreaks and maintain food security.
- Adopting eco-friendly and non-chemical pest control methods, like using rapeseed oil instead of cucumbers and coffee grounds, could be a step toward more sustainable agriculture and a healthier lifestyle, reducing the environmental footprint caused by pesticides in food-and-drink production.
