Saxon seed now emerged, planted 14th of April. Still moisture in the ground at tuber level but no rain forecast so will need to keep an eye on this for irrigation. Common scab, Streptomyces Scabies, is a soil borne disease that can easily make a crop of potatoes unmarketable. The Streptomyces multiple fast in dry conditions around the newly forming tubers causing scabs to grow. Dry conditions as the stolon starts to swell after hooking is the initial stage to ensure the soil is moist around all the stolons. There is no need to irrigate before this if the soil is damp as there is no danger to the future crop from common scab, the water is better reserved for when it is needed for the 4 to 6 weeks after tuber initiation, until the tuber is greater than 25mm, and for bulking later. Too much water can cause powdery scab, root rot and cause other complications like watery wound rot if there is too much water in the bed. If you can't irrigate certain fields then there are less susceptible varieties you can plant to get a marketable crop. #saxon #growing #plant20 #dry #commonscab #streptomyces #scabies #SMD #irrigation #potato #allaboutpotatoes #potatoknowledge #agriculture #farming #farm365 #papa #patata #batata #pommedeterre #potatoes #aardappel #kartoffel #instapotato #instapic https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVfP5hFv9w/?igshid=1es5qgvgandgs