10/29/2026
Mustard is such a power house plant!
Potato farmers are finding an alternative to chemical soil fumigants in an unexpected place: mustard. Mustard contains glucosinolates, compounds that break down into isothiocyanates as the plant decomposes in moist soil.
These isothiocyanates are toxic to many of the nematodes, fungi and w**d seeds that fumigants are designed to control. Growers typically plant mustard in rotation, then chop and plow it under before the next crop goes in. Timing, variety, plant biomass and soil moisture all affect how well the method works, and results vary widely from field to field.
It is not a guaranteed like-for-like replacement for chemical fumigants, but it gives growers a plant-based option for managing soil pests.
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Images are generated by AI and for demonstration purposes only.
Source: Washington State University Cooperative Extension. (n.d.). Using green manures in potato cropping systems (Publication No. EB1951E).
