The Benefits of Crop Rotation Including Cereals and Green Manures on Potato Yield and Nitrogen Nutrition and Soil Properties

Abstract

Soil quality decline is a common concern in potato production systems. Including cereals and green manures (GMs) in potato rotation could improve soil productivity and sustain potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yields and quality. This experiment initiated in Québec, eastern Canada, assessed the effects of two cycles of 2-yr potato rotations with cereals and GMs on soil properties and potato yield and quality, and on disease incidence -1 ) were applied to potato. After two rotation cycles in 2011, soils under cereals and summer and fall GMs had higher soil water-extractable organic C and N contents, nitrate levels, soil respiration, urease and dehydrogenase activities, and a larger proportion of soil macro aggregates (0.25 to 2 mm), compared with the continuous potato. Cereals and summer GMs increased marketable potato yield and specific gravity, whereas fall GMs increased tuber yield but reduced tuber quality. In addition, fall GMs favored the incidence of common scab and black scurf. Summer GMs had higher potato N uptake and N efficiency compared to cereals and fall GMs. Although fall GMs produced higher net returns than cereals and summer GMs, they may not represent a viable long term option to sustain potato production and to enhance soil quality. Results indicated that growing cereals or summer GMs in rotation with potato is an interesting alternative to improve soil properties while sustaining potato yield and quality. A fall GM with a better growth during the fall season may sustain potato yield and quality, if included in longer potato rotation, but this remains to be determined.

Potato Growth and Yield Characteristics under Different Cropping System Management Strategies in Northeastern U.S.

“…The DS system also resulted in overall significant increases in total and marketable yield relative to SC, SQ, and PP under non-irrigated conditions. These increases were presumably due to the beneficial effects of the added green manure and cover crops in reducing potential pathogens and soilborne diseases, and maintaining various soil health parameters, as has been observed in other potato systems [12,43,44]. As previously reported, DS resulted in lower incidence and severity of multiple soilborne diseases (including stem canker, black scurf, and common scab), as well as significant effects on soil microbial community characteristics, but more modest effects on soil chemical and biological parameters [20,21].…”

“…Although only one potato variety, Russet Burbank, which is the predominant processing variety grown commercially in the northeast, was used in this study, observed results should be generally applicable to other potato varieties as well. Previous studies in this region have indicated similar responses to rotations, amendments, and fertilization in multiple different potato varieties [29][30][31][32]36], and improvements in soil health have been associated with increases in yield across not only different potato varieties but many different crops as well [4,6,[12][13][14][15]44].…”

“…Increasing rotation length from 2 years to 3 or more years between potato crops has been shown to improve productivity, as well as reduce soilborne diseases in multiple studies [6][7][8][9][10]. Other practices, such as the addition of cover crops and green manures [11,12], amendments of compost or animal manure [13][14][15], and reduced tillage [6,16], have all shown promise for having positive effects on tuber yield and quality, as well as other benefits to various soil properties and soil health in potato systems. However, most previous research has focused on the assessment of individual practices or rotations, and not necessarily on the combined effects of multiple different practices in integrated cropping systems for the total system effects on productivity and plant and soil properties.…”

Manejo de la costra negra de la papa (Rhizoctonia solani) con el establecimiento de abonos verdes

“…Se ha demostrado que especies de la familia Brassicaceae poseen componentes naturales como los glucosinolatos, producidos a partir del metabolismo secundario de las plantas que al ser utilizadas como abonos verdes liberan una serie de compuestos tóxicos, en especial la capacidad biofumigante de los isotiocianatos, que limitan directamente el desarrollo hongos patógenos del suelo (Larkin y Griffin, 2007;Vandicke et al, 2020). Dayegamiye et al, (2017), exponen que la incorporación al suelo de cereales como variedades de rápido crecimiento de cebada, avena o trigo, cuyo aporte considerable de biomasa trae consigo efectos positivos sobre las propiedades del suelo y su microbiota; condiciones que predisponen una menor incidencia de fitopatógenos.…”

Effects of organic manure and crop rotation system on potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.) tuber yield in the highlands of Awi Zone

“…Another potential source of organic fertilizer in the present study area is using green manure such as clover and lupine undersowing with cereals or grown in pure stands in the rotation system. The important soil quality parameters such as the organic matter of the soil, soil nutrients, soil aeration and water holding capacity would be improved that in turn make the crop production more sustainable (Ndayegamiye et al 2017).…”