Volume 5 Issue 10
Inga Zasada, USDA-ARS Plant Pathologist
Email: Inga.Zasada@ars.usda.gov
Rationale
A common practice in the raspberry production system in northern WA is to plant a wheat cover crop prior to or after fumigating soil in the fall. There are many advantages to utilizing a winter cover crop including increased water infiltration and erosion control. However, wheat is a host for the root lesion nematode ( P. penetrans) (Fig. 1). The objectives of an ongoing research endeavor in raspberry are: 1) to determine the role that a wheat cover crop plays in supporting P. penetrans populations during the raspberry renovation process, and 2) how to manage a winter wheat cover crop prior to re-establishing raspberry.
Winter Wheat Is an Excellent Host for Pratylenchus Penetrans
But Are There Other Options?
Questions Remaining
- Are there other winter cover crops that can be used during raspberry field renovation that are not hosts or are poor hosts for P. penetrans?
- Can P. penetrans be managed in a wheat cover crop? Factors being considered:
- Time of cover crop kill
- Use of Lannate (methomyl)
Acknowledgements. This work is a collaboration among Tom Walters and Lisa DeVetter. Thank you to cooperating raspberry growers and the Washington Red Raspberry Commission for their continued support of this research.