It is extremely important to apply nematicides correctly. Adam Clark paid a visit to a Lancashire potato grower who modified his planter for more accurate and safer fertilization.
To take nematocide application to a new level of precision and safety, a Lancashire potato grower modified the planting system to ensure that each pellet is placed exactly where it should be.
Andrew Webster farms south of Ormskirk, Lancashire, in the middle of a zone of intensive root and cabbage growing, which creates pest problems on his 182 ha of his own and leased land.
Free-living nematodes and wireworms can be a serious threat. The main threat to his 73 ha potato crisp business is the potato cyst nematode (PCN). To solve this problem, Webster extends planting intervals by finding cleaner leased land in addition to his own.
There is also a focus on improving field hygiene with better weed control throughout the rotation, minimizing the risk of spreading the nematode to other crops.
As part of his holistic approach, Webster uses granular nematicide nematorin (fostiazate).
“We installed it with our Pearson Megastar stone separator because it fit into our system at the time, but it didn't always properly mix the product into the soil. “It can also allow the soil to travel over the sprockets without breaking down, so if you're not careful, product can be thrown to the side by the cross conveyor,” says Webster.
If nematicides such as Nematorin are applied too shallow, the root zone is not protected from nematode attack, conversely, if too deep, excess soil dilutes the product and reduces its effectiveness. The Nematorin product label recommends wide row application to a depth of 10-15 cm for best results, so Webster found a way to use the cultivator method and achieve a depth of 15 cm as consistently and accurately as possible.
He soon discovered that no manufacturer offered an automatic depth control system on cultivators. However, after the paver has passed, the depth of the swirls can vary significantly depending on the amount of stones and clods in the soil, which can lead to uneven application of the nematocide.
Webster has found use for automatic depth control on his self-propelled Agrifac beet harvester, which uses a potentiometer linked to the lift arms to automatically hold the front end at the desired depth.
He approached Massey Ferguson to see if a potentiometer could be placed on a cultivator and controlled by a trailed implement control (TIC) on a Massey Ferguson 6616 Dyna-6 tractor used on his potato planter.