Green manure crop may be an option 

April 6, 2010

   Nematodes are microscopic worms that can infest a potato field and destroy a commercial   crop. Charlton did three years of research into the potential of certain green manures to reduce nematode infestations.

   Charlton can’t talk about the potential economic return if a green manure crop is planted, he said, because that was not part of the study.

   “We don’t have the research data that has looked at reduced rates of nematicides or fumigants in combination with these green manure crops to achieve the level of suppression that is required by the market,” he said. “No green manure crops had 100 percent efficacy.”

   Research continues

   Charlton will continue his green manure research this year to see how the plants develop in the absence of water. Charlton’s previous experiments found two radish varieties from The Netherlands had the most promise.  

   “They’re going to be able to provide the same level of wind erosion protection as a small grain,” he said. “The only thing they aren’t going to be able to do is be taken as a hay crop.”

   The plants may have use as a forage material for livestock, Charlton said. The previous trial seeded the green manure crop in mid-July, after a fall-seeded winter cereal was cut for hay in June.