[willnbirdie]

Hi

Just dug up 3 of my first earlies (pentland javelin) - plants were wilting during the day instinct said somthing was wrong, got the plants out, several potatoes on them some of a reasonable size.  Discovered and have diagnosed potato cyst eelworm.

2 of the plants only had it on the roots, the other one had cysts on the potatoes themselves - yuk.  We have destroyed affected plants and potatoes.

Now for the questions    - please help if you can
Do you know if it is ok to eat pots from affected plants (provided the potatoes have no cysts)?
Is the whole crop likely to be doomed? (mains are desiree have researched and they are no way as resistant as p-j)
Looked at even more resistant varieties for next year - Accord seem to be really good any ideas where I can buy it?

Any other advice appreciated - thanks - beginning to wonder if we have taken over a duff plot what with white onion rot and now this  :cry:

Chin up other things are doing well - we will not be defeated  

Thanks

willnbirdie

[gobs]

Unspoilt pots are perfectly edible, don't think eating the nematodes would do you any harm, either, just sounds gross.

Try to destroy as many cysts as you can, these are full of eggs to hatch later. I'd have a lookie at the roots of your main crop and if there is signs of them, pull up early and destroy, before hatching.

Rotation/absence of pot and tomato crops recommended for 5-6 years, especially main crop, which being there longer - as tomato - can result in some 20 fold increase in numbers of pest. Keep a look out for weeds in the solanum family, too.

For earlies 3 years.

Resistance is no guarantee, there are 2 distinct species, white and gold and several strains.

I posted once a trap for them, it contains cornmeal, try to search these forums for it.

Accord is available from a lot of well-known merchants.

[willnbirdie]

Thanks Gobs - will take the advice about checking main crop -  first sign of problems and they are coming out of the ground - the 3 we lifted we did really carefully and would hope to have destroyed a fair portion of the eggs as none appeared to fall off.

As for the cornmeal trap, found a post about wireworm - is it the same sort of thing for the eelworm - if so will give it a go what have we got to loose?

cheers for the help

willnbirdie

[gobs]

I'm sorry, Will, the corn trap is for wireworms, most ridiculously I was thinking of that on typing. :oops:  :oops:  

I don't know of eelworm traps that are easy for home gardeners, the easiest sounding is a trap crop of rotation with something in the nightshade family. :roll:

A bed of morning glory?

Can't see it easy to execute, as with sacrificial crops timing is crucial, otherwise one just contributes to the problem.

[willnbirdie]

Thanks Gobs - no worries.

I think the best thing that we can do is to lift affected crops before the eggs reach maturity and looking at what we have at the moment - all eggs are white and earlies are just about to flower - so will try and time it well and lift as close to the time we are supposed too but keep checking pots to see if eggs are changing colour if they do out they will come.

I guess that is the closest were are going to get to a trap and if we get it right (highly unlikely I know) but am I right we could actually reduce the size of the problem?

cheers

willnbirdie