Sask Mustard

Along with @Seeds_Canada we unveil the third in our series of 8 Innovation Showcase finalists — @GrowMustard! Innovation: Sterile Mustard Lines to Rid Fields of Disease Saskatchewan’s Mustard 21 has listened closely to potato growers who faced the challenge of growing mustard alongside their potatoes and dealing with volunteer mustard plants in the subsequent year. Understanding their concerns, Mustard 21 — an offshoot of SaskMustard — developed a game-changing solution: a sterile line of mustard specifically designed for potato growers. With this innovation, the plant no longer goes to seed, yet it continues to produce the same amount of biomass that is crucial for the bio needs of growers. The glucosinolates in the mustard are worked into the soil, providing natural pest control measures. Mustard has been shown to control a variety of soilborne pests. These include verticillium rhizoctonia, fusarium, pythium, sclerotinia, common scab and range of nematodes. The use of mustard as a biofumigant has also shown a decrease in damage caused by wireworms.