| In organic agriculture potato volunteers, presenting an important primary inoculum source for late Blight (Phytophthora infestans), are controlled by mechanical meth-ods. These may be partly replaced by ‘foraging’ livestock animals, such as cattle, sheep, horses, ponies or pigs. Most animals eat only the remaining potatoes on the field surface; however, pigs also dig up potatoes. This paper reports on two experi-ments with pigs (sows or finishing pigs), which appear to be very effective in digging up potatoes that are left in the field after the potato harvest within a reasonable time period. However, the workload for the farmer, problems with animal health and meat quality and possible damage to the soil structure seriously limit the applicability of pigs... |
