Farm President Joachim Rukwied warned of significant crop failures in potatoes or sugar beets due to the lack of use of plant protection products. “At the moment, I am driven by the greatest concern, that due to climate change, new pests and diseases are emerging, against which the use of effective products in Germany is prohibited” Rukwied said to the “Rheinische Post” (Friday’s edition).
For example, cicadas can transmit bacterial diseases such as the “Basses Richesses Syndrome” and “Stolbur”. “This already affects potatoes, sugar beets, carrots, onions, rhubarb, and red cabbage. In the end, it leads to a reduced yield of at least 30 to 50 percent, up to a total failure” Rukwied warned. “We need chemical plant protection or seed treatment to be able to secure harvests at all. This will be a big task for the new federal government” the farm president said.
According to the Farmers’ Association, the “Reed Glass-winged Cicada” is found primarily in the southwestern region of Germany, such as Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, or Rhineland-Palatinate, and is now also found in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The insect is known as a vector of plant diseases and is spreading further accordingly.