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Caliente mustard reduces potato cyst nematodes.

29
Jun, 2017
By Sally Osgerby
  • Blog,Pests & Diseases,Potatoes
  • No comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Caliente Mustard:

  • reduces potato cyst nematodes
  • improves soil structure – as a green manure
  • suppresses soil disease and weeds – as a  biofumigant
green manure

green manure

Caliente Mustard produces a naturally occurring biofumigant gas (isothiocyanate (ITC)) when its plant cells are damaged (by crushing or chopping).

This gas suppresses a range of:

  • soil-borne diseases, including Verticillium wilt, Rhizoctonia spp., Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., and Sclerotinia spp.
  • nematodes (eelworms)
  • wireworms

To encourage the production of the biofumigant gas ITC:

  • chop the Caliente Mustard plants as finely as possible – the finer the chop the greater the effect.   Either, use a rotary mower (such as Bosch Rotak 32R Electric Rotary Lawnmower with 32cm Cutting Width),  a strimmer (like this BLACK+DECKER ST4525-GB Corded Grass Strimmer, 450 W) or garden shredder (for example Draper 35900 230-Volt 2,400-Watt Garden Shredder)
  • incorporate the chopped mustard into soil immediately, simply digging in the whole crop, un-chopped, will not give the same effect.  Mix the shredded vegetation into the top 15cm (6in) of the soil either with a rotovator (like this one Handy 9 inches Width Garden Tiller Cultivator Mantis Deluxe), or by digging in with a fork
  • seal the soil surface, at once, to keep the gases in, using polythene
  • the soil temperature should be warm, between 10-15°C (50 – 59°F)
  • autumn or late spring incorporations are the most effective

Green Manure:

When the green foliage of the Caliente mustard is chopped and incorporated into the soil, the decomposed organic matter will produce nutrients which will help plants grow.  It is a good idea to analyse the soil every so often to see how fertile it is.

To grow Caliente mustard:

  • Sow spring to late summer – it will be ready 60 to 90 days after sowing
  • To cover areas of bare soil over winter, sow early October (no later than mid-October) & the crop will be ready for incorporation in early to mid spring
  • 200g of seed covers approx 120sq.m
  • 1kg covers approx 600sq.m
  • Caliente mustard is available in this packet of mixed seed, Suttons Seeds 169522 Winter Mix Green Manure Seed

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