Potatoes in Canada

Tuber Talk
Mechanical weed seed control with Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill


July 20, 2022
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In 2011, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists were researching ways to control European corn borer populations. In an effort to target the pest at its source, they developed a piece of equipment dubbed the “potato vine crusher.” The equipment successfully reduced ECB populations in a field, but the pest’s ability to fly between fields meant all farms in an area would have to employ the technology for there to be a beneficial effect overall. The crusher went unused for a decade until one AAFC research scientist considered another use for it.

In this episode of Tuber Talk, AAFC weed scientist Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill discusses the history of the potato vine crusher, how he found out about it, and the trials he’s running to determine the crusher’s potential for weed seed management.

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The music used in this episode is Vital Signs from Purple Planet Music.

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