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Kutztown, PA

Well this is my first post in several months. My season was disappointing to say the least. So much so, I decided to take a breather. Four plants all got a mosaic virus among other things. I still had some fun with my first ever giant tomatoes and a long gourd. Here's my question for today: In August I planted mustard in the entire 4,600 sf after my pumpkins went south. Yesterday I cut it and tilled it in. I watched a Youtube video done by the University of Ohio (not sure if that's real University or not :) ). The presenter said to water the mustard in immediately after tilling seal in the isocyanate gases etc. that the mustard produces. It's the isocyanate that fumigates the soil. In a few places I read that isocyanates not only kill of some "bad" nematodes, but ward of some plant diseases. None of the info actually said what diseased it may help prevent. I know it won't get rid of viruses. Does anyone have any experience, 1st, 2nd or, 3rd hand regarding soil fumigation with Mustard?

11/16/2023 3:13:47 PM

Central Ca

To properly fumigate you would need an ungodly amount of mustard biomass.

11/16/2023 8:20:38 PM

Eugene,OR

After you fill it in/chop it up & heavily water, then you are supposed to cover it with plastic for a couple weeks. I know people who have had good success with it.

11/16/2023 9:58:08 PM

Eugene,OR

Till, not fill.

11/16/2023 9:58:32 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Talk to Daletas about the plastic. We had terrible results this way with our second crop this year off. Harry, from wester labs laughed at us when we said we used plastic.:(

A few years back that was what we thought worked but have found out the plastic heats the soil to quickly therefore reducing the gas by over 50%.
DO WATER VERY HEAVY THOUGH TO MAKE A CRUST. This will help the glucosinolates stay in the soil the longest.

I'm on my 4th mustard crop and biomass is enormass! We have a last treatment after our final mustard that's growing now that we HOPE knocks the crap out of what disease is left. Each crop this year has been healthier then the last! Except the one we used plastic on. I was actually able to see where the disease was trying to come back.

And so many different types of microbes and microbial compost that should help things out. If even a little, it's worth a try.

And this isn't recommended for Andy Wolfs patch, he does just fine with his system.:)

11/16/2023 10:51:12 PM

Kutztown, PA

I have the overhead sprinklers on. Mine produce a tremendous amount of biomass. It was all around 4' tall when I cut it. I've got it soaked down good, but no plastic. Maybe with temps dropping now the moisture will lock it in and it wont volatilize as much. I also saw in the same YouTube that they rolled it after watering to compact the soil around it. I don't have that option, but I can see how that might help.

11/17/2023 11:22:18 AM

Mission Viejo, CA

Harry at Western Labs told me specifically NOT to cover the patch with mustard after tilling.

11/17/2023 11:29:31 AM

Whidbey Island

"Harry at Western Labs told me specifically NOT to cover the patch with mustard after tilling."

Did you mean not to cover with plastic?

11/18/2023 6:38:21 PM

Torrance, Ca.

DO NOT COVER WITH PLASTIC. Steve and I did the exact same plastic, did a disease panel and had the exact same numbers and they weren't good.

Just use lots of water and it will form a crust after a couple days for the best results.:)

11/19/2023 9:50:34 PM

Syracuse, NY

I suppose an actual amount of water/interval/duration/gallons per SF is in order. I do not have any knowledge of this topic but I see what detail might be missing. Good luck with it, nonetheless and So.Cal., I do wish you the best with it in '24, having sat out an entire year. eg

11/20/2023 6:42:41 AM

i till mustard in water real good then (dirt track)style pack it in makes a great seal

11/20/2023 12:46:10 PM

Torrance, Ca.

That's another great way to keep the gas in Don, Harry was telling us!

We need to get around this disease somehow! I have a couple new chemicals that just came to market the past couple years and saw some amazing results this year from the guys that used them!

How come we can't all just have disease free soil like some of these guys............. Rick being one of them. lol

11/20/2023 10:20:11 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Wait for a good rain on the way and till it in right before.

11/21/2023 8:01:07 AM

Deering, NH

The process of ‘biofumigation’ with brown mustard (Brassica juncea) can reduce weed pres-sure, populations of parasitic nematodes, and soil-borne pathogens such as Fusarium, Pythium, Rhi-zoctonia, Sclerotinia, Verticillium and Phytophthora.
Mustard produces chemicals called “glucosinolates”. When glucosinolates come in contact with water and a family of enzyme myrosinase, contained in plant cells, they are transformed into another group of compounds called “isothiocyanate”. It is these isothiocyanates that give mustard its biofumigation power. The isothiocyanate that is produced by mustard is called “Allyl isothio-cyanate” (AITC). AITC is a compound that is very similar to the compound that is contained in the commercial fumigant Vapam®
Some of the mustard cultivars are Kodiak, Pacific Gold and Caliente Rojo (used by this author). Caliente Rojo contains the highest concentration of glucosinolates currently available. Mustard meal such as Pescadero Gold derived from ground mus-tard seed, is another method of adding glucosinolates to the soil. Sulfur is recommended to increase production of isothiocyanates by the mustard.The amount of glucosinolates (GSL) in the mustard biomass increases until peak bloom. The cover crop is then finely cut or mowed with a lawn mower, weed wacker or bush hog. Because isothocya-nates are a volatile gas, the mustard should be im-mediately incorporated into the soil within 20 minutes of chopping (approximately 80% of the gas is lost in 20 minutes). Once the plant mate-rial has been incorporated, the soil should be compacted, watered and sealed.

11/22/2023 7:45:10 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Some amazing answers now that everyone's not in the patch! Rugar, there are a few of use that have been using the mustard meal on that final till. A questions we've always had is,,, if the mustard gas releases so quickly wouldn't it do the same with the mustard meal?
How does the glucosinolate gas stay in the bag of ground mustard seed?
I'll still be doing 2 bags on that final till but how much is it really working?

11/23/2023 12:00:10 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Some amazing answers now that everyone's not in the patch! Rugar, there are a few of use that have been using the mustard meal on that final till. A questions we've always had is,,, if the mustard gas releases so quickly wouldn't it do the same with the mustard meal?
How does the glucosinolate gas stay in the bag of ground mustard seed?
I'll still be doing 2 bags on that final till but how much is it really working?

11/23/2023 12:00:10 PM

Kutztown, PA

Well, here's some of my thoughts about mustard plant off gassing. Key points: The rate of off gassing is directly proportional to surface area, temperature, humidity and chemical specific volatility. Oh, and ambient air pressure. Based on those factors, if your cut was a fine mulch, i.e. more broken plant cell surface area, It was 80 degrees and humid, and the ambient air pressure was low you'd loose more gas. If your cut was more course, the temperature was 40 degrees, not so humid you would have less off gassing. I'm guessing it takes far more than 20 minutes for a 10" mustard stalk to loose it's benefit. I would bet that the 20 minute estimate is based on shredding mustard into minute pieces in the lab Placing it in a sealed container and determining the point it time when the gas is depleted. That kind of mulching/cutting in the field isn't the case. Having said all of that, this is my first try with the mustard so I really don't know &($% about it. LOL

11/30/2023 9:48:10 AM