Mustard as biofumicant

[Breckland Boy]

I have been growing mustard for many years in front of beet but have always used the cheapest seed available.
There are other mustard varieties that merchants claim to supresss beet cyst nematode and potato cyst nematode but come with a premium price tag.
A source yesterday told me that this is all just creative marketing and mustard is just mustard.
What are peoples thoughts on this?
Is there any evidence that allows such a hike in seed costs?

 

[Brisel]

There are certain varieties that have far better biofumigant properties. Not all mustard is the same. There was a thread on this a couple of years ago, so worth a search.

 

[Will 1594]

One of the brown ones @slim shiny , they have done it. , needs finely chopping up and ploughing in .

 

[Will 1594]

Oil raddish Brown mustard , does a good job to help . The know areas now get it , some muck , and lime . And not ploughed , cultivated and a really tight seedbed , and direct mulched drilled

neighbours beet has a big patch maybe 4 acre of light shire on a hill top , that is struggling , we have dug some looked at plants ?‍?‍wondering if Bcn pcn , so asked if had field tested for lime ?‍ Not for a long time , 4.7/5.2 ph.
geuss what he wants us to do this afternoon ??. Yes 5 ton / acre going on this afternoon , up tramlines and split down middle. Big spreader tyres are going to flatten some beet mike . Don’t worry he says. Just do it. Hope Thursdays rain comes and washes it off

 

[Brisel]

Has he never heard of fertiliser spreader compatible calcifert? That would do a holding job until you can get the crop lifted & spreaders on with the proper stuff.

 

[Suffolk boy]

Using the cheapest mustard is probably increasing your BCN problem! Especially once you've sown your mustard if we have a warm end of summer/ early autumn, above 15° C causes BCN to hatch in a large amount

Controlling BCN and PCN works in two different ways.

The way in which brassica 'trap crops' (either radish or mustard) work for BCN control is by the roots producing leachates stimulating the cysts to hatch. This not not biofumigation. The brassica crop then does not produce the correct nutrients for the cysts to complete their life cycle. Certainly with BCN research there has been a vast amount done on the continent looking at how the different species work. Through greenhouse trials pots with brasscias are grown with a known amount of BCN inoculated into the pots at the beginning. Theses plants are allowed to grow and then the analysis is done to look at how many cysts and/or nematodes are left in the pot. This works out the population decrease which is quoted i.e. 70% reduction of BCN. Using this method you keep the plant alive and then incorporate it before you want to cultivate for beet. As far as I understand what has annoyed some people in the UK is that the reductions quoted are from greenhouse trials and not field conditions.

Controlling PCN using brassicas is done through biofumigation. The plant is allowed to grow and mature and then should be 'chopped' and then quickly incorporated into the soil so when plant cells are damaged/ broken open they release glucosinolates and other compounds with biocidal proprieties which then control PCN, free living nematodes and other species directly into the soil rather than just leaving them on the surface.

 

[Breckland Boy]

I have been discing my mustard in around Xmas time before injecting mixed food waste. I then run through with a deep tine and press and drill. It has been a successful way of establishing beet.
Would a mustard that claims bcn reduction be better than the cheap seed?
Pcn, I am aware that the mustard needs to be chopped and incorporated but again does it have to be the expensive seed. £6.20/kg v £1.55/kg?

 

[Hesstondriver]

we did trials at south pickenham a few years ago, and the sales rep for biofumigant seed probably also had a car boot full of snake oil! i hope there is better statistics to back up whats being sold now

 

[Suffolk boy]

Would a mustard that claims bcn reduction be better than the cheap seed?
Pcn, I am aware that the mustard needs to be chopped and incorporated but again does it have to be the expensive seed. £6.20/kg v £1.55/kg?

In short yes for both. For BCN you will be getting a species which has been shown not to increase populations whereas a cheap one is more than likely to be susceptible and therefore cause an increase. Similarly with PCN you can get some varieties of mustard or other brassicas which don't have the correct glucosinolates. I can't say I know too much about PCN but after a google, this provided an interesting table on page 5 https://projectblue.blob.core.windo...library/BiofumigationGuide3035_190710_WEB.pdf .

 

[Breckland Boy]

Very interesting
Thanks

 

[Breckland Boy]

Just get the bcn . Beet variety’s Speak to your beet man. D A. ? He is ours. We use oil raddish at 10/12 kg couple kg mustard. 30/50 kg oat or barley whst ever left over to fit field

No evidence of bcn here.
One in six rotation and a big gap from the rhrizo days keep the risk low.
However still wanting to reduce that risk and by using mustard in our greening cover crop also helps. The only question was if the extra seed cost of the type 1 and 2 bcn mustards is justified.
@Suffolk boy suggests it is.
Another source of info I had yesterday was that it didn't matter what type of mustard is used.

 

[Will 1594]

No evidence of bcn here.
One in six rotation and a big gap from the rhrizo days keep the risk low.
However still wanting to reduce that risk and by using mustard in our greening cover crop also helps. The only question was if the extra seed cost of the type 1 and 2 bcn mustards is justified.
@Suffolk boy suggests it is.
Another source of info I had yesterday was that it didn't matter what type of mustard is used.

Do you know Ed. Maule. Seed men has done a lot on bio mustard in last 10 years with his potato work Will send you his number , we will do a 25 acre as trials for him again £60 ha for the seed. When it gets so half flowered. Flail it off. Cultivate it in or plough then roll it down tight to “seal “ it down

 

[Kidds]

We grew some biofumigant mustard before a strawberry crop. Mulched it and ploughed in quick. Spectacular results, very impressed.

Another time we did the same and it got covered in little black caterpillars. Beet sawfly?
Millions of the buggers, never seen owt like it. Had to wash the tractor off after he came out the field.

 

[Norfolk Olly]

Have done lots over the years, and apparently it did help with pcn control. We were told that the incorporation is vital for good results so flailing and ploughing was done simultaneously then rolled with a flat roll to seal the surface

Have also sown a small area for seed to be used the following year which worked well, just need to get it clean enough through the combine to go straight in the drill.