Spud Special: Wind erosion worries

At last! The sun is shining and soil temperatures are starting to warm up, allowing planting to get well under way. Strong winds have proved challenging, however, particularly for those planting on light, sandy soils.

On a recent visit up north I saw drifts of sand across roads and around the edges of fields, with considerable erosion of the potato ridges. The tubers were still nicely covered and in moisture, but re-ridging just prior to emergence and herbicide application will probably be required. Generally soil conditions have been surprisingly good; however, growers will have to make sure cultivations after ploughing are timely to avoid freshly ploughed land baking out in the strong winds.

Thus far the majority of seed stocks I have inspected have been of good quality with only the occasional soft rot observed. Powdery scab seems to be the most prevalent fungal disease, hardly surprising given last year’s growing conditions.

It is always worth carrying out tuber counts to fine tune plant spacing, especially when you take into account the cost of seed and the comments that I am picking up regarding seed seeming to plant a lot further than usual. I have always been a fan of encouraging the purchase of seed on a replant-able hectare-age basis rather than tonnes per acre.

Soon thoughts will turn to herbicide choices and with a plethora of “new” varieties out there, it is always worth checking metribuzin sensitivity as the active ingredient is often a major part of spray programmes.

Recently I have had a number of phone calls regarding the planting of potatoes after failed oilseed rape crops. There are some actives which can persist particularly on organic matter resulting in severe leaf distortion of the following potato crop. My advice is to check what herbicide was used, if any, and to check following crop restrictions on the label. If still in doubt, contact the manufacturers help line for further information.

Author: Nick Brown