[ricky]

Hi I was told last year that my potatoes were doing really badly because of eelworm infestation, I wondering if you guys ever tried any of the resistant varieties and what kind of results you got, living here in n.lreland I can't bring in the variety CARA which gave good reviews can anyone tell me why this is , I've looked at VALOR they look promising any advice would be appreciated many thanks Ricky.

[JayG]

This is the description of Valor from the extremely useful British Potato Variety database: (http://varieties.ahdb.org.uk/)

Valor produces high yields of bold white tubers of good all round cooking quality. It is highly adapted to a wide range of growing environments. It has very high tolerance of heat and drought. Susceptible to potato virus Yo. Resistance to late blight on tubers, bruising and splitting. When tested for resistance to potato cyst nematode, this variety showed susceptible to  Globodera pallida  Ps2/3,1 and resistant to  Globodera rostochiensis  Ro1.

Unfortunately it's not easy to tell which of the two main strains of PCN you may have - pallida is dominant in England and Wales, rostochiensis in Scotland, but I've not found a 'rule of thumb' for NI I'm afraid.

My own experience of PCN is that Charlotte were badly affected, Lady Christl and Pentland Javelin noticeably so, and Rocket the least, although s0d's law dictates that Rocket is also the least tasty of the 4 (they are all first or second earlies so might not be of interest to you anyway.)

(Without wanting to question the opinion of whoever made your diagnosis, he or she wouldn't be the first to confuse eelworm (PCN) with other problems like wireworm and slug damage.)

[ricky]

I had some professional growers farmers they said probably eelworm ,the plants grow well then they
Just wither away and die and you dig them out and nothing but small marble sized tubers it's like the effects of weedkiller just wilting away one at a time until the whole plots decimated after alot of work and prep its very disheartening

[ricky]

I've been reading up on this and wonder if Verticillium wilt disease rings a bell with anyone do you know of any potatoes resistant to this disease I can't find any at the moment thanks

[JayG]

Eelworm (PCN) cysts, although less than the size of a pinhead, are very easy to spot if they're numerous enough to kill the plant prematurely - the roots and sometimes the tubers too will be covered with hundreds of them, which is a certain diagnosis.

Thankfully I've no experience of verticillium wilt, but I'm sure googling images of it will help you decide whether your spud's symptoms match.

[ricky]

Thanks Jay for your help

[Salmo]

If your infestation is enough to have that much effect on your potatoes then your ground probably needs a long rest from potatoes, five years at least, probably 10. To get an infestation that severe potatoes must have been grown continuously with insufficient crop rotation.

As JayG says, when you lift the potatoes the cysts of the eelworm are easily seen attached to the roots, yellow or light brown, about the size of mustard seed but lemon shaped.

If you really have to grow potatoes then grow first earlies which are dug before the eelworms have completed their lifecycle.