Re: Zapping a potatoe field!!

I understand your desire to use zapping as a mode to rid your fields of nematodes , I also farm (HAY AND CATTLE) and I've found , usually if there is a problem it's usually the plants / crops are stressed due to lack of minerals etc in the soil. First I'd take soil samples and take to your local Extension Service or send to a private lab that specializes in ag samples (S & H in Ames Iowa)and find out what trace mineral is missing or locked up due to acidity or alkalinity (you'd spread lime for acid , sulphur for alkaline). Most farmers just feed NPK , they very rarely check for trace minerals , also continued one crop farming depletes the soil of the specific needed min for that crop , that's why organic farms follow crop rotation , or due green manure (ie; buckwheat,clover in off growing season , then brushhog and till in to reestablish tilth and the flora/fauna the soil needs for future growth)......2nd , there are bacteria that can be sprayed that will eat the nematodes , when the nematodes are distroyed they die off. Any landscape/gardening site list these benificial bacterium....and they won't harm crops.....I've sprayed on fruit trees for borers etc.
Not trying to sound arogant , but my 40ac turns out twice as much hay as my nieghbors 80 and 100 ac fields , he only applies nitrogen , sometimes NPK......where I do my lime testing and do NPK and trace minerals , plus I spread manure (turkey/cattle/leaf shreddings from county landfill , on a yearly rotation , and reseed every 3 to 5 yrs.....it's kind of expensive to maintain this way but during a drought or wet spring , I ALWAYS do better then him on total output and I've tried to get him to sample the hay for nutrients to compare , but he won't spend the $138.00 to get a complete feed value analysis.
My personal thoughts are , you'd spend (perhaps waste ) more time playing around with zapping then you'd benifit......check out organic farming/gardening and you'll be money and time ahead........hope this opens a new view and helps overall.....Richard Tweet