Results from the first year of an AHDB Potatoes demonstration at Elveden Farms, near Thetford, suggest that small adjustments to an irrigation regime can make a big difference – if the timing is right.
Common scab in potatoes is widely distributed throughout the country. It is caused by Streptomyces scabiei and other pathogenic Streptomyces species. Grower strategies for controlling scab focus on keeping soils wet in the early season, from the tuber initiation stage.
Efficient use of water for irrigation purposes is under significant scrutiny. Mark Stalham, research scientist of NIAB CUF and coordinator of some of the trials at SPot Farm East, believes that optimising irrigation can also help control common scab.
“What we are looking to do is structure the irrigation programme to the actual needs of the potato variety and through this combine the control of common scab with efficient water use,” explains Dr Stalham.
“If we can prioritise more susceptible varieties in our irrigation programmes, we may be able to target the more resistant varieties at exactly the right time and also reduce the risk of powdery scab and tuber cracking.”
The AHDB Spot Farm programme is designed to transfer research into practice. You can find out more about SPot Farm programme here