Page 25 - ALG Issue 2 2025

BIO-DIVERSITY
© Courtesy of Fera Science Ltd
Because of its detection in 2020, Yacon
can no longer be legally imported into GB,
and while there remains some uncertainty
over the general disease status of this crop,
DEFRA recommend that Yacon should not
be grown in the future. However, if you do
currently grow yacon this should only be
for personal consumption. Yacon can still
be legally moved within GB, it is however,
advisable that you do not share, sell or give
away own grown plants, seeds or tubers.
The current biosecurity advice for yacon
can be found on the plant health portal at
Defra.gov.uk
To help protect our plant health, here are
some top tips.
•
‘Don’t risk it!’ Don’t bring plant material
(plants, trees, fruit and seeds) into the
UK from trips abroad. These might be
carrying harmful pests and diseases
•
Buy your plants and trees responsibly –
Source plants from reputable nurseries
and suppliers. If you are buying plants
online, buy from a UK-based supplier
where possible, to reduce the risk of
harmful pests and diseases entering
the country. Check out the YouTube
Video: ‘Buying Responsibly with Pippa
•
•
•
•
Greenwood’
Dispose of garden waste responsibly –
never dump it in the countryside, it isn’t
just pests and diseases that can cause
problems
Know your pests and diseases –
Observatree have produced a useful
symptoms calendar. Find out what
pests and diseases to look out for at
Observatree.org.uk
Keep it clean by cleaning boots, bikes
and buggies before visiting woodlands
and parks, otherwise you could spread
harmful organisms like fungi, bacteria and
insects.
Look out for signs of pests and diseases
on your local trees – report these
through TreeAlert, This information
supports important tree health
monitoring and surveillance work,
contributes to ongoing scientific research,
and helps to protect the nation's trees.
BIOSECURITY GUIDANCE
If Yacon is currently being grown or
stored, we advise the following to
prevent the spread of PYV and other
non-native viruses:
•
Yacon should only be harvested for
personal consumption and should
not be sold or transferred to other
sites (and all tubers should be
removed from the soil)
•
Tubers of Yacon should not be
saved for planting in the following
year to avoid carry over of any
viruses harboured in the tubers
•
PYV mainly spreads to other host
plants via aphids. It is therefore
advised that once harvested the
remaining Yacon plant material
(leaves and stems) should be
destroyed, either by incineration
(burning on site) or via deep
burial (to a minimum of 2 m) in
accordance with waste regulations,
or bagged and disposed of with
waste for landfill
•
Any waste material from the
tubers, including peelings, can be
disposed of in general waste bins
to go to landfill and should not be
composted
•
The Yacon planted area should be
cleared of all plant material, including
weeds
• If any Yacon plants regrow in the
following year, they should be
destroyed as for the plant material
above
• Many non-native viruses are
transmitted mechanically (on
people, clothes, equipment etc.),
so hygiene best practice should be
followed: Wash hands with soap
before and after handling the Yacon
plants or tubers. Clean any tools
and equipment which have been in
contact with Yacon thoroughly to
remove all plant material and soil.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener | Issue 2 2025 | 25