Challenges
Potatoes are an important food for people around the world. However, the cultural practices involved in growing potatoes present challenges to soil health. Hilling and harvesting physically disturb soil structure which can lead to erosion, compaction, poor water infiltration, and promote loss of soil organic carbon. Fumigation, while effective at controlling pathogens, can negatively impact beneficial soil microbes involved in nutrient cycling and natural pest suppression.
Opportunities
Despite these challenges, significant opportunities exist for improving soil health in potato production. Innovative potato farmers, researchers, and companies are already demonstrating that we can regenerate soil health by:
- Reducing tillage and general soil disturbance in the rotation phase of the cropping system;
- Keeping the soil covered with cover crops and crop residues;
- Growing shorter-season potato varieties that allow more time to establish cover crops after harvest;
- Growing a diversity of rotation crops; and
- Applying manures and composts.
These regenerative soil management practices have many benefits, including:
- Building soil organic carbon;
- Enhancing the biological community in the soil;
- Reducing wind and water erosion, and compaction risk;
- Improving water infiltration and available water-holding capacity;
- Reducing inputs and nutrient losses to the environment; and
- Suppressing potato pests, thereby improving tuber yield and quality.
Ultimately, improving soil health in potato cropping systems can improve farm profitability, resilience, and sustainability of the potato enterprise.
