The oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces euteiches is the causative agent of Aphanomyces root rot disease in a broad range of various legume host species, including pea (Pisum sativum). Pea is one of the most important legumes in the world and with the global trend towards a more sustainable food production and consumption, peas are becoming increasingly high in demand as a valuable source of plant-based protein (Ge et al., 2020). Aphanomyces root rot is the major constraint for increased pea production in Europe and can cause very high yield losses and negatively affect quality. Vining peas are harvested as immature seeds (green peas) and consumed as a vegetable. They are cultivated worldwide in areas with a temperate climate, and worldwide production reached 19.87 million tonnes in 2020 (FAO, 2021).

Weed communities of organically cropped spring cereal stands in the southern and the northwestern coastal regions of Finland (= south and northwest, respectively) were compared with respect to number of species, frequency of occurrence, density and dry weight. Regional specialization of agricultural production along with differences in climate and soil properties were expected to generate differences in weed communities between south and northwest. Total and average numbers of species were higher in the south than in the northwest (33 vs. 26 and 15.6 vs. 10.0, respectively). Some rare species (e.g. Papaver dubium) were found in the south. Fumaria officinalis and Lamium spp. were found only in the south. The densities and dry weights of Lapsana communis, Myosotis arvensis, Polygonum aviculare, Tripleurospermum inodorum and Vicia spp. were higher in the south, while the densities and dry weights of Elymus repens, Persicaria spp. and Spergula arvensis were higher in the northwest. Total density of weeds did not differ between south and northwest (average = 565 vs. 570 shoots m -2 , respectively). Total dry weight of weeds was higher in the northwest compared with the south (average = 1594 vs. 697 kg ha -1 , respectively), mainly due to the high dry weight of E. repens. The only variable that was dependent on the duration of organic farming was weed density in the south. The abundance of nitrophilous in relation to non-nitrophilous weed species was higher while the abundance of perennial ruderal and grassland weed species was lower compared with previous weed surveys. This can be regarded as the result of increasing cropping intensity on organic farms in Finland. Different weed communities call for the application of specific target-oriented weed management in the respective coastal regions.

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Influences of ley age, soil properties, and geographical location on the herbage production of red clover-grass leys were determined under practical conditions on 27 organic farms located in the southern and in the northwestern coastal regions of Finland. Averaged over one-, two-, and three-year-old leys the accumulated first and second cuts produced 7.12 t dry matter herbage ha-1 year-1, with a clover proportion of 34.8%. Herbage production declined with increasing ley age. The average proportion of clover increased from 26.4% in the first to 43.7% in the second cut but decreased with ley age. Within- and between-field variations of clover proportions markedly decreased from the first to the second cut and strongly increased with ley age, while changes in the variations of herbage production were less pronounced. Within-field variations of clover proportions in the first and in the second cuts were higher at lower proportions of clover. Herbage production was positively related with clover proportion. Soil properties had a major impact on clover proportion and herbage production, largely explaining also regional differences in ley growth. Amelioration of fields and, not at least, of less fertile sites within the same field seems to be a crucial requirement for higher and more even clover proportions and herbage yields.;

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Vuosina 2019 ja 2020 kartoitettiin herneenlakasteen (Aphanomyces euteiches) ja härkäpavun juurilahon (Phytophthora pisi) esiintymistä Uudellamaalla, Ahvenanmaalla ja Pohjanmaalla. Näytteitä otettiin 68 pellolta, joilla hernettä ja/tai härkäpapua on viljelty toistuvasti viimeisten 10–20 vuoden aikana. Kartoitukseen osallistui 34 maatilaa. Herneenlakastetta todettiin 21 tilalla ja 38 pellolla, mutta härkäpavun juurilahoa ei havaittu. Kuinka usein voimme viljellä palkokasveja samalla pellolla lisäämättä näiden kasvintuhoojien esiintymistä? Voimmeko tunnistaa viljelykierron lisäksi muita muuttujia, jotka vaikuttavat herneenlakasteen esiintymiseen?