Cover crops to delay aphid infestation in potatoes

The day will come under the theme of arable farming in a new era. There are many conditions affecting farming at the moment and more coming in the future.

Clearly, there is a lot of focus on climate change with the big shift in weather conditions.

We also see the lasting impact of the Ukraine invasion, which caused ripples across the supply of inputs.

The new agriculture policies will impact arable farmers. So, there are many factors that have focused our minds on supporting farmers and helping them navigate these changes.

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Field plots and farm tour

We will have our field plots on show, and a tour of our Centre for Sustainable Cropping, where we will demonstrate arable crops grown using reduced inputs and cultivation, and more plant diversity.

Farmers can see the results of our crops using reduced mineral nitrogen inputs, replaced by recycled compost waste and nitrogen-fixing legumes.

For our potato crop, we have deployed our Hutton criteria decision support tool ‘BlightSpy’, which only sprays for blight when conditions dictate. Running the crop like this, as opposed to spraying at regular intervals, has cut one or two sprays per year.

Potato-companion crop being sown at the James Hutton Institute

We’re also testing if companion crops (buckwheat, vetch, bean, pea mix sown behind the potato planter) can delay potato aphid infestation by distracting them from finding potato plants.

As cover crops grow in importance in Scotland, we will be showcasing our different seed mixes with performance results.

On display will be demonstrations of cover crop effects on soil and nutrient erosion, and also how different cover crop species such as oat, pea, bean and ryegrass can be established after each crop in the rotation to maximise the benefits of soil cover while avoiding disease carry-over. One of the trials involves broadcasting buckwheat, pea, vetch, and fava bean following the planting of potatoes.

This aims to delay the impact of aphids, as they are distracted by the other plants in the field.

Tackling soil erosion and biodiversity is another trial on show. Here, the plot has been ridged for potatoes but sown with a wildflower mix. This has a twofold benefit: first, there is a range of biodiverse plants for pollinators and wildlife. Second, the ridges will reduce soil erosion from the field during heavy rain.

Fibre crops such as hemp and flax will also be on show with our trial plots, as well as legumes, which are a crop with future potential.

Workshops and seminars

People coming for the day will also get a chance to understand a bit more about their soils. We will be explaining how soil quality can be measured, assessed, and how to monitor the impact of any changes in crop growing practices. We will also be looking at maximising the benefits of integrated pest management (IPM) on farms. There will be worked-through examples of how different farmers use IPM on their farms, with an understanding of some of the trade-offs and advantages.

There will be a talk from Frédéric Thomas, a BASE farmer in France who has been instrumental in pioneering conservation agriculture. Integrating livestock into crop systems is another topic, plus all the latest from the International Barley Hub’s work, as well as the fast-developing markets for carbon and biodiversity.