Economic Potential of Compost Amendment as an Alternative to Irrigation in Maine Potato Production Systems

Abstract

Potato productivity in the northeastern US has been relatively constant for over 50 years, raising questions about what factors are limiting productivity. Research was initiated in 2004 to identify key constraints to potato productivity by evaluating Status Quo (SQ), Soil Conserving (SC), and Soil Improving (SI) cropping systems under both rainfed and irrigated management, and it was found that addition of compost or irrigation substantially increased yield. In this study, we employed partial budgeting to determine cost differences and their impact on net revenue for these cropping systems. Differences in systems were primarily associated with rotation length, tillage operations, compost and application expenses, and water management practices. When compost (as composted dairy manure) was annually applied at 19 Mg·ha −1 and evaluated over the entire 3-year crop rotation cycle, the compost-amended rainfed SI system was more expensive to maintain than the irrigated SC system if compost cost exceeded $3.63 Mg . Average marketable yields were used to calculate gross and net revenue for each system. Because average potato yield for the irrigated SQ system (28.4 Mg·ha ), we were able to compare cost of irrigation versus compost for achieving comparable yield. The compost-amended SI system under rainfed management generated more net revenue from the potato crop than the irrigated SQ system when compost costs were less than $7.42 Mg . When compared to the commonly used rainfed SQ system, rainfed SI achieved higher net revenue as long as compost cost was less than $22.95 Mg . The rainfed SI system achieved higher net revenue than the irrigated SC system when compost cost was $9.43 Mg −1 or less, but generated greater net revenue than the rainfed SC system regardless of compost costs, due to substantially higher yields associated with compost amendment. This investigation demonstrates that compost is a potentially viable substitute to irrigation for potato in the northeastern US; however, such potential is highly dependent on suitable compost sources and application costs.

Cumulative and residual effects of different potato cropping system management strategies on soilborne diseases and soil microbial communities over time

“…This research demonstrated that cropping systems could be used to substantially reduce soilborne disease and increase yield in potato production. Previous reports on these systems have also included assessments of foliar diseases (Olanya et al ., , ), soil nutrient related enzyme activities and P status (He et al ., , ), and economic impacts (Halloran et al ., ). However, although other studies have demonstrated similar significant effects from rotations, amendments, or other cropping practices, most of these examined individual practices and were conducted for a short‐term period (usually just one rotation cycle).…”

Quantity and Nature of Water‐Extractable Organic Matter from Sandy Loam Soils with Potato Cropping Management

“…The potato production system in Maine is characterized by short (2-or 3-yr) rotations, extensive tillage, and minimal crop residue return, especially during the potato phase of the rotation. In contrast to other irrigated regions in the United States such as the Pacific Northwest, which have seen substantially elevated yields, the overall productivity of this system has not increased for several decades despite increasing inputs of pesticides, nutrients, and water, raising questions about what factors are limiting productivity (Halloran et al, 2013). For this purpose, a field experiment in Presque Isle, ME, was established to identify the key constraints to potato productivity by evaluating five crop management systems under both rainfed and irrigated management .…”

“…In addition, findings in this study can contribute to the overall goal of enhancing productivity and sustainability of the Maine potato industry. This work and other recent publications (Halloran et al, 2013;Larkin et al, 2016;Olanya et al, 2014Olanya et al, , 2016 on the same project will also be helpful to global potato production practices as this project is a continuation of one of the eight global case studies compiled in the book Sustainable Potato Production (He et al, 2012a).…”

A Case Study of Improving Yield Prediction and Sulfur Deficiency Detection Using Optical Sensors and Relationship of Historical Potato Yield with Weather Data in Maine

“…Despite nearly stable potato yield during the past 20 years, farmer’s profits have declined significantly [3] because of enhanced input cost. Growers can adopt variable N rate management methods which may increase yield and reduce input cost, but there is a need to establish guidelines by understanding N behavior under changing climate and soil conditions.…”