Potato cyst nematodes, or PCN, have been moving up the agenda for Scottish growers for some time now, writes Jane Brisbane of SAC Consulting in an article published by The Scottish Farmer.
“These pests have become a serious threat to our tattie industry and it’s not just an issue potato growers need to take seriously, but everyone in arable production, especially those who rent out land for potatoes,” she notes.
She says there are tools to manage PCN – such as growing resistant varieties, longer rotations, bio-fumigant crops, and nematicides – but you need to know it’s there in the first place. Soil testing for PCN is the only way to determine if it is present, how bad the infestation is and what species. You need to know all three of these facts to manage PCN effectively.
“Management of PCN is complex, but achievable. An integrated approach is required which hinges on resistant varieties.”
Source: The Scottish Farmer. Read the full article here
Photo: Jane Brisbane soil sampling – it’s a necessary process to keep PCN in check, she argues
