Mustard, before Potatoes*
For Improved Soil and Suppression of some Soil Pests
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CAUTION
Requires MANAGEMENT for best results
Consider time, labor, and equipment constraints from August through October.
Do not use as replacement for fumigation of root-knot nematodes
EPA RESTRICTIONS: None
Generally Recognized As Safe
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
- Check for herbicide carryover problems.
- Produce maximum BIOMASS
- Spread straw, chaff, and any crop residues evenly. Remove crop residues if needed.
- If possible, maintain previous crop’s residues on soil surface. This reduces the N needed and N losses after incorporation.
- Plant high quality, certified disease-free seed. Drilling requires the lowest seeding rate.
- Plant Oriental mustard, also called Brown, or Indian mustard (all Brassica juncea).
- Plant in August, except for far southern WA, and northern OR. Drill, broadcast, or aerial seeding all work.
- Full irrigation according to crop needs
- Nitrogen: 100-120 lbs./ac available over season, with sulfur at 6:1 N:S ratio.
- Kill weeds and volunteer crops with selective herbicide.
- Incorporate quickly while green; chop with a flail chopper followed by a shallow (4-6”) disking into moist soil, or irrigate after incorporation.
- Increased frequency of green manure crops increases the benefits.
Active Ingredients:
BIOMASS Depends on Management, see below 100%
Glucosinolate (type depends on Brassica species)
Isothiocyanates (various, produced upon incorporation)
* May also give benefits to other crops
Andrew McGuire, Irrigated Cropping Systems Agronomist, WSU Extension, andrew.mcguire@wsu.edu