Population management
Managing PCN population is an important consideration for a sustainable rotation. Growing a potato crop can lead to an increase in egg count many times the initial population and they can remain viable for up to 40 years.
The effectiveness of nematicides in limiting an increase in population when a potato crop is grown is measured by the ratio of the final population (Pf) to the initial population (Pi). This was assessed across 26 UK trials conducted from 2012 to 2018 comparing the performance of Velum Prime (fluopyram) against Vydate (oxamyl) and untreated.
On average the population in the untreated controls increased fivefold, i.e. the Pf/Pi ratio was five. Velum Prime limited the Pf/Pi ratio to 3.7 giving an average reduction of 26%.

Yield protection
In lower pressure situations Velum Prime will provide yield protection and population management as part of an integrated PCN management plan. In higher pressure situations Velum Prime gives extra yield protection when used in conjunction with granular nematicides.
The graph below shows the performance of Velum Prime as a single means of yield protection and in combination with the granular nematicides, Nemathorin (fosthiazate) or Vydate (oxamyl) in 15 UK trials performed between 2016 and 2019. The results demonstrate the improved yield protection from applying Velum Prime in combination with a granular nematicide.

While use of a granular nematicide on its own gave a greater yield response than that achieved by Velum Prime applied alone, the use of Velum Prime in sequence with either granule at half-rate produced a yield increase beyond that achieved by that of the granular nematicide used on its own. The best result came from using Velum Prime plus half-rate Vydate: an average yield gain of 10 t/ha over the untreated.
