U of I mustard hybrid kills both weed seeds and nematodes

Farm and Ranch June 29, 2009 Research at the University of Idaho continues to develop mustards with better capabilities to kill soil pests and diseases. In fact, U of I Brassica breeder Jack Brown says they had a breakthrough in that regard.

Brown: “We have one mustard that is very effective at killing nematodes in the soil that is used in potato production now. Another mustard is very effective at killing weed seeds in the soil. We have produced a hybrid between the two mustard types. Nature has never had done this. We did it in our lab under standard techniques. And this hybrid will produce these compounds and will kill weed seeds as well as nematodes”

Brown says this is cutting edge research.

Brown: “We are in the experimental stage. We will begin some on farm tests in the state of Washington with Andy McQuire with Washington State University this fall.”

There are some new canola varieties coming from Brown’s Brassica breeding program at the University of Idaho. He says one is Amanda, a new winter canola that does well in a silage system. Brown says the first industrial winter rapeseed release is called Durole.

Brown: “Which by the way is Scottish Gaelic for strong oil. Dark oile.”

Also coming from the U of I breeding program are two spring canola varieties as yet unnamed. In yield trial results those are 38 DE and 3.1.17

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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