Potato Problems

[green sleeves]

Looking for information on  a problem we are having on the  site.  some of the potato plants are  showing  a problem with  stunted leaf growth,  it's not leaf curl  but were wondering if  there was a problem with the manure  we used . We get a free supply from the council of horse manure from local stables which have wood chips in them.  The plants have  very stunted  growth,  leaves which are very thick. Is  it a nitrogen problem or should we be using horse manure at all. Strange thing is that   it has hit different rows and not mixed  between plants on each plot. Prior to this problem  and the free council manure the plot holders  were getting cow manure and paying for it. Any help welcome.

[green sleeves]

[ninnyscrops]

I've got this problem too - on my maincrop. Just a couple of plants at the end of three rows.  I alternate between horse and cattle manure and it's the cattle's turn this year. Never had this problem before and this is my 4th year of growing tatties.  ???

[saddad]

New one on me... any other factors? Is it on the windy end of the rows.....  :-\

[Sinbad7]

Both earlies and lates are strange this year.  The earlies have hardly any leaf growth at all and the lates that are a fraction of the height that they normally flower at have flower buds on them already.  The growth on both of them is so poor I haven't earthed up either of them.

I have been growing spuds now for over 20 years and never had anything like these before.

Sinbad

[ninnyscrops]

The earlies and second early end of rows are as healthy as the front, just the seems to be the maincrop ones. My rows are running west to east so would assume any wind would have had the same effect on all varieties.  Had a thought, could be I over-manured that patch, maybe  ???

[realfood]

Could it be eelworm?
"Basal leaves turn yellow and then brown in mid-summer, this symptom gradually spreading up the stem and leading to early die-back. Potatoes produce a crop of small tubers when early dieback has occurred. Spherical objects, or cysts, up to 1mm in diameter can be seen on the roots if the plants are carefully dug up. These may be white, yellow or brown in colour, and are the swollen bodies of the female eelworms. Each one contains up to 600 eggs that can remain viable in the soil for many years".
Taken from the RHS site.

[green sleeves]

It has happened  to diferent people on the plots, some  have just had a few plants effected and others have  whole rows like me but in more sheltered parts of the site so dont think it's wind. Pulled mine up any way incase it  is somthing that spreads but root stock in  good order and no beasts crawling around them. None of the other spuds have shown any sign of  this so fingers crossed.

[Tee Gee]

Have they been frosted at any time?

This could be the transition from damaged growth to new growth.

Can see the manure being the problem, particularly if it was laid under the seed potato rather than around it.

[green sleeves]

no this growth  came well after the frost and has only effected   some plants not the total crop. Plants   showed this problem  from coming ut of the ground.

[Tee Gee]

Try a pH test! your soil might be out of kilter for potatoes.

[davyw1]

Stunted leaf growth, leaves turning down and going yellow are signs of nitrogen deficiency.

[Fork]

And woodchips in your manure(unless very very well rotted) are a no no.

Woodchips cause a nitrogen deficiency in the soil.

[gitty]

We have the same problem now with our new plants.

Looked it up - aminopyralid

It looks like it was in the loads of horse manure we lovingly dug out from our local stables.
BIG PROBLEM.

We've spread it all over our allotment and now it looks like we can't use the allotment for 3 years!
I feel sick.

Dow chemicals - you are a bunch of ars-holes

[Eristic]

Woodchips cause a nitrogen deficiency in the soil.

Not when they are soaked in horse piss they don't.