AHDB Potatoes has launched a new guide to help potato growers test for Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), a pest that costs the industry more than £25m each year.
The release of PCN: Sampling and laboratory guide draws on Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board-funded research, conducted by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) and BioSS, measuring the effectiveness of soil sampling techniques ahead of PCN testing.
At a conference recently, which was attended by over 40 prominent agronomists and researchers with a keen interest in PCN, Dr Sue Cowgill, Senior Scientist at AHDB, said: “The research provides clear and usable results, and the conference allowed us to discuss these with those out in the field and provide an open forum to gain opinions on the most effective way to share the information with growers.”
Data from statutory sampling and recent AHDB funded research, conducted at Harper Adams University, had shown that PCN is moving into areas and fields where it has not previously been found.
"PCN is a damaging pest, and once it is in your soil, it is very hard to remove” said Dr Cowgill.
“The first step for any grower is to find out if there is PCN in the field, and if there is, what species is present. Once you know this information, you can make the best decisions for your farm and you’ll also be assisting the industry as a whole by helping to control the pest.”
Patrick Mitton, chair of the Nematicide Stewardship Programme, attended the conference. He said: “The new PCN sampling guide is a welcome update to the understanding of PCN detection, management and control.
The guide is an important contribution to knowledge exchange which will be of importance to both advisors and growers alike”.
Market round-up
Wallets Marts had 759 prime lambs forward in Castle Douglas on Tuesday where prices were sharper on the week. Top prices on the day were £84 and 182.7p with the overall averages levelling at £73.31 and 168.15p (+12.7p).
416 Cast sheep sold well apart from light, plain ewes which were hard to place. 359 Heavy Ewes sold to £110 for Texels and averaged £51.85 and 49 hill ewes sold to £49 for Blackface and averaged £27.94 with tups to £88 for BFL Rams.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 13 prime heifers at Ayr on Tuesday to a top of £1451 per head and 240p per kg to average £1151.05 and 220.2p
One young bull sold to £1073 or 185p
In the rough ring 125 beef cows averaged 115.6p, while 120 dairy cows levelled at 88.4p.
A large show of 17 dairy cattle sold to a top price of £1980 for a tidy Holstein Friesian heifer and the sale averaged £1327.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here