Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 15 TRAP CROPS He said: “ e biggest challenge for the trap crops is planting date, which ideally needs to be similar to maize. Unfortunately for most growers a mid-May planting date would be restrictive, owing to the loss of a cash crop. “Our trials were looking to quantify if a post early-harvest crop, for example forage rye, would give the trap crop time to establish and reach the 700g above ground biomass required to provide su cient rooting to stimulate hatching of a substantial proportion of the PCN, as published by Timmerman, 2007.” “Currently the earliest planting date in Shropshire, June 25th, is showing the strongest growth for both S. sisymbriifolium and S. scabrum, 50-60% ground cover, whereas the July 28th plantings are still only at approx. 3-5% ground cover and unlikely to grow signi cantly more. e trial at Orrmskirk, less than 70 miles North of the Shropshire sites, planted on July 8th, is still struggling to emerge even from the earliest date and until we collate the weather data, we can only assume it is related to rainfall or temperature.” One of the sites in Shropshire is a clay loam and although the crop from the rst planting date, June 29th, is growing quite well, Ivan said the excessive rainfall and slower drainage has signi cantly retarded some growth, while there is also no emergence from the later planting. “ e other aspect of the trial was planting depth, either 1.5 or 3cm deep, and this work suggests that as long as the seed is sown at 1.5cm and the seedbed consolidated, the deeper depth had no bene t this year,” he said. “A key thing for growers to remember is that this crop must be treated as any other commercial crop to succeed, if the planting and management is second rate then the growth too will be second rate.” Produce Solutions, whose trials team o ers assistance with speci c elements of potato growing trials through to the full management of a program from planning to analysis, has provided free seeds for the trial. “I thought the scabrum would be more vigorous with more biomass.” Andrew Wade, Field Lab Co-ordinator IVAN GROVE Ivan’s consultancy business, Curious Raven, focuses around his 40 years’ agricultural experience involving precision farming with specialist interests in nematology, soil-water and aerial imaging (PfCO holder). He also works with ‘AgriOpti’ developing innovative solutions for crop protection. Until June 2019, he was principal lecturer at Harper Adams University where his key interests were precision farming, aerial imaging and soil/soil-water which he taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including signi cant PhD supervision. ANDREWWADE Andrew isManaging Director at Optigro Limited, which looks at optimising crop yield through innovations. With pesticide options diminishing, the company is focusing on the development of complementary alternatives and nding new solutions to aid crop protection. MATTHEW BACK A researcher with interests in the disciplines of plant pathology and nematology, Matthew is a Reader in Nematology at Harper Adams University. e majority of his recent work has focussed on the use of biofumigation for the management of potato cyst nematodes. He is an established member of sta in the Crops & Environmental Science Department (since 2003) and has been involved in the supervision of many research projects. ANNE STONE Anne is the Knowledge Exchange Manager at AHDB Potatoes. She has long been an advocate of taking an integrated approach towards PCN, rmly believing in collaboration between growers, agronomists, researchers and the supply chain. She was instrumental in the 2019 launch of the AHDB publication ‘ e PCN Grower Guide’ when she stressed that growers and agronomists need to ‘think PCN’ at every stage, from seed selection to hygiene measures at harvest to planning their rotation. PCN damage occurs on around 65% of land used to grow potatoes.