What should you do when scouting a field and you find the potato leafhopper population above the economic threshold?

When scouting and discovering that the potato leafhopper population exceeds the economic threshold, implementing curative measures is the appropriate response. The economic threshold is the point at which the cost of pest damage equals the cost of control measures, indicating that action is necessary to prevent significant economic loss.

Curative measures typically involve selecting and applying appropriate insecticides or other pest control strategies tailored to target the potato leafhopper effectively. This ensures that the infestation is managed before it causes substantial harm to the crop. Rather than relying on preventive or passive approaches, taking decisive curative actions helps limit the population growth of the pest and mitigates damage to the plants.

In contrast, ignoring the situation would likely lead to greater crop damage and financial losses. Preventive measures, while useful in some contexts, do not address an already existing infestation. Reporting the finding could be important for record-keeping or alerting others, but it does not directly impact the immediate need for action in managing the pest population that is already above the economically damaging level. Thus, acting with curative measures is essential in this scenario to minimize economic impact and safeguard the crop's health.