New biofumigant crop mix: Turning up the heat on potato cyst nematode

A new summer-sown biofumigant plant mix that offers improved suppression of potato cyst nematode, compared with autumn-sown, overwintered varieties, is being launched this season by Agrovista in the UK. Summer Vindaloo is a mix of the hottest mustard varieties and very hot rocket, which grows quickly and develops powerful biofumigation activity within three months of sowing, says Shropshire-based agronomist Andrew Wade. The mix will appeal, especially on trickier land, to growers who prefer or need to complete their deep cultivations before winter sets in, he says. “It can be incorporated in October and deliver at least as powerful a punch as the more traditional over-wintered mixes,” he explains. Summer Vindaloo has been developed as a result of an extensive trials network and PhD research pioneered by Agrovista Agronomist Luke Hardy. Another new study in Agrovista’s Shropshire trials is investigating trap cropping, using plants that produce a similar exudate to potato roots, fooling the PCN into hatching. More