New tool helps farmers manage costly potato pest

Scottish potato growers are set to benefit from a new interactive tool which allows them to predict the impact of different potato varieties, cover crops and the use of nematicides on field levels of the industry’s most costly pest.

It was launched at the recent British Potato event in Harrogate and is the result of PCN Action Scotland, a five-year Scottish government-funded project.

An estimated 41% of Scottish ware (human consumption) potato land is infected with potato cyst nematode.

This infection can drastically reduce potato yields and is notoriously difficult to control.

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The aim is to help farmers manage the pest more effectively by enabling them to make informed decisions about potato variety selection, nematicide use, and rotation planning.

Dr James Price, plant nematologist at the James Hutton Institute, highlights that one key approach for managing infection in fields is choosing a potato variety with resistance.

However, the AHDB PCN Calculator, an industry staple for many years, was out of date and didn’t include the newer varieties.

Therefore, a new robust decision support system, tailored to Scottish conditions using modern data and incorporating contemporary varieties, has been built as part of the project and uses up to date data.

He says PCN-SP allows users to carry out digital trials, viewing the effect of varietal choice on PCN populations and the impact on yield.

“This model represents the most up to date decision support tool for PCN management allowing growers to see how much their choice in potato variety matters.”

Dr Kerry Leslie, potato consultant at SAC Consulting, adds that having access to this tool allows growers, alongside their agronomists and consultants, to act quickly and effectively.

Taking the PCN scenario they face in a field helps assess ways to improve on the problem in an easy, visual way.

“This is a step forward for PCN management primarily for Scotland, but applicable for the whole of the UK.”

PCN Action Scotland includes partners from The James Hutton Institute, SAC Consulting (SRUC), Scottish Agronomy, SoilEssentials, Bioss, the Plant Health Centre, and Sasa.

The tool was designed and built by SoilEssentials.