Soil steaming against potato pests
Photo: Marit Skuterud Vennatrø
Researchers at NIBIO have discovered that heat treatment with steam effectively eliminates yellow potato cyst nematode from infested soil.
All soil that is moved as part of various projects must be free from plant pests. One such pest found in Norway is the yellow potato cyst nematode (PCN). This pest attacks potato plant roots, has a high potential for spreading, and is difficult to combat. Researchers at NIBIO have investigated whether soil steaming can eradicate the nematode.
“There is commercially available technology for soil disinfection, and we have used a pilot machine that sterilises soil using hot steam,” explains research scientist Marit Skuterud Vennatrø.
“In both our trials and experiments under more controlled conditions, we have observed that yellow PCN dies when exposed to high-temperature steam over time.”
The method works well, but the commercially available technology is a stationary machine, meaning it cannot be used directly on infested fields. Instead, it is designed to treat relocated soil from infrastructure and road projects that has been found to contain unwanted plant pests, making the soil reusable.
NIBIO researcher Dr Erik Joner examined soil health after steaming. Although the process kills beneficial organisms, he explains that the soil can be revitalised by mixing in other soil or compost. Steam treatment does not cause any obvious chemical effects, but it may alter soil structure, leading to some compaction.
Contacts
Purpose
To investigate if high temperature steaming affects the survival and infection potential of PCN
Collaboration: SoilSteam International AS, Toten Løkpakkeri, Larvik Løk, Lindum, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Statens vegvesen and Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service
Funding: This work was carried out as part of the RessursRetur project, an IPN project led by SoilSteam
Contacts