Parsnip canker

[cazsudz]

I have just harvested my first few parsnips. Disappointingly they are already showing signs of canker though its just skin deep at the moment. I had a lot of problems with this last year ( my first year growing parsnips) so this year grew avon resister which I thought was meant to be resisitant to canker.

Does anyone know how to avoid this disease - are there any soil-types/ weather conditions which make it worse and are there any truly rsistant varieties?

[Geordie]

Well, parsnip canker is a fungal disease and unfortunately can live on in the soil and build up to damaging levels. Things that might help reduce its impact are, never growing parsnips on the same patch of ground (try growing in tubes eg gas board yellow pipes), improving the drainage of the soil (double dig, raised bed, adding organic matter) and adding lime to the soil if it is too acidic (a ph of about 6-7 is fine). Unfortunatly once canker has started it is irreversible with no chemical treatment.