The threat of potato apple contamination in vining pea crops can be successfully managed through a control programme using drilling dates and the pre-emergence herbicide Nirvana, Birds Eye has found.

Contamination with potato berries can result in rejection of the entire crop, Andrew Whiting, agronomy manager for Birds Eye says. “With the demise of Fortrol and Trifolex-Tra it has become more difficult to manage.”

But a development programme of trials has found that Nirvana (imazamox + pendimethalin) gave 86% control of potato berries. Mr Whiting advises the use of the product on vulnerable sites – those that are going to be harvested from mid-July onwards. “Crops drilled from the beginning of April will be at risk.”

Harvesting of earlier drilled crops will be before potato apples are formed.