A new interactive tool that will allow users to see the impact of different potato varieties, cover crops and the use of nematicides (chemicals used in nematode management regimes) on field scenarios has been launched by PCN Action Scotland, a five-year, Scottish Government-funded project that includes partners from The James Hutton Institute, SAC Consulting (SRUC), Scottish Agronomy, SoilEssentials, BioSS, the Plant Health Centre, and SASA.
Release of the Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) decision support system marks a significant milestone in the fight against one of the most persistent threats to the UK’s potato industry. It has been designed using Scottish, and UK, field data to manage PCN more effectively and sustainably. This version of the webtool is free, accessible, up-to-date, and easy to use, and will help growers make informed decisions about variety selection, nematicide use, and rotation planning.
This is a major step toward safeguarding Scotland’s potato industry. By combining cutting-edge science with practical tools, PCN Action Scotland is equipping growers to tackle PCN head-on.
Dr James Price, Plant Nematologist at the Hutton said, “Key to managing PCN infection is choosing a potato variety with resistance. The PCN Scenario Planner allows users to carry out digital trials, viewing the effect of varietal choice on PCN populations and the impact on yield. This model represents the most up to date decision support tool for PCN management allowing growers to see how much their choice in potato variety matters.”
Dr Kerry Leslie, Potato Consultant at SAC Consulting, said, “Having access to an in-depth tool like the PCN-SP allows growers, alongside their agronomists and consultants, to quickly and effectively take the PCN scenario they face in a field and assess ways to improve on the problem in an easy, visual way. This is a step forward for PCN management primarily for Scotland but applicable for the whole of the UK.”
PCN Action Scotland, now in its final year, was established in response to the growing crisis posed by PCN, microscopic soil-borne pests that drastically reduce potato yields and are notoriously difficult to control.
An estimated 41% of Scottish ware potato land is infected with PCN. Not only do these infections reduce yields, and so income for growers, they also pose a greater threat for further spreading of PCN.
While legislation preventing seed potato cultivation on affected land is in place to reduce further spread of PCN, the threat to the industry is existential if management practices such as a shift to resistant varieties are not taken.
The previous tool used by growers, the AHDB PCN Calculator, was a valuable resource and the industry staple for many years but a new robust decision support system, tailored to Scottish conditions using modern data and incorporating contemporary varieties, was seen as necessary to support the aims of PCN Action Scotland.
As PCN management becomes more complex, growers need a system that reflects current science, local conditions, and economic realities. The new PCN-SP, designed and built by SoilEssentials, https://soilessentials.com/ addresses these gaps by incorporating field trial data, produced by PCN Action Scotland at Barnyards farm in Angus, with grower feedback and advanced modelling techniques.
SoilEssentials has turned the latest scientific understanding of PCN into a working predictive model and created a reliable online tool that helps growers assess risk and plan rotations with more confidence.
PCN Action Scotland will be hosting a public project completion meeting following the conclusion of multi-year field trials and policy consultation on 18th March 2026, at the Hutton’s Invergowrie campus. Registration for this event can be found here https://tinyurl.com/mtfjwxbw
Press release courtesy of The James Hutton Institute.
Image shows PCN damage
PCN Action Scotland delivered across nine integrated work packages: economic analysis, decision support systems, resistance marker development, dihaploid breeding, variety tolerance, groundkeeper control, novel integrated pest management tools, policy reform, and knowledge exchange. The PCN Scenario Planner is central to these efforts.
The James Hutton Institute is a world-leading scientific organisation integrating a distinctive range of strengths in land, crop, waters, environmental and socio-economic science. It undertakes research for customers including the Scottish and UK Governments, the EU and other organisations worldwide. The institute has a staff of nearly 500 and 100 PhD students.
The Institute takes its name from the 18th century Scottish Enlightenment scientist, James Hutton, who is widely regarded as the founder of modern geology, climate scientist and an agricultural innovator. More information at www.hutton.ac.uk