Cleaning Crop Cuts the Mustard
Cleaning crop cuts the mustard - Joan Hamilton, Edible Crops Adviser, Greenmount Campus
For organic vegetable growers, weed control is a major issue. Roy Lyttle has been growing organic vegetables near Newtownards for 5 years. He uses cultivation methods to control weeds but is always seeking alternative methods for weed control to aid vegetable crop establishment. He was therefore keen to participate in a technology project in conjunction with Greenmount Campus looking at the effect of Caliente mustard (a combination of mustard species) on weed germination.
The mustard was planted at the end of April. After 9 weeks, the mustard crop was cut, chopped and immediately incorporated into the soil. The mustard, when chopped, releases isothiocyanate gas which suppresses weed germination.
When weeds were counted two weeks after incorporation a 40 percent reduction was found in the mustard plots compared to plots which had been left undrilled. Weed germination was observed over 6 weeks and the effect persisted.
Roy can see a definite benefit in using the mustard.
“When cultivating the crop it is possible to tell which plots had the mustard traetment” he says “the number of weeds growing now is substantially lower than in the other plots. It is so important to keep the crop clean of weeds in the early stages of growth. The mustards allow me to do just that”
Mustards have traditionally been used as green manures. They grow rapidly providing a great deal of organic matter which, as it decays, releases nutrients particularly nitrogen. The organic matter also helps improve the soil structure so benefiting subsequent crops. Soil samples will be taken at the end of the season to establish the extent of any increase in organic matter.
Joan Hamilton , Edible Crops Adviser, CAFRE with Roy Lyttle , organic grower, Newtownards, discuss the crop planted after the mustard
For further information please contact
Joan Hamilton
Tel 028 9442 6683
or Teresa Maguire
Tel 028 9442 6694