Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Economic Comparison of Conventional and Conservation Management Practices for Irrigated Potato Production in Southern Alberta

  • Published:
American Journal of Potato Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Conventional (CONV) potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in Alberta has relied on high levels of soil disturbance which may result in long-term degradation of soil resources. A 12-yr (2000–2011) study was conducted to address issues with the CONV system and to evaluate the effects of conservation (CONS) practices on the economics of irrigated potato production. Potato was grown in 3- to 6-yr rotations which included dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), and timothy (Phleum pratense L.). CONS included reduced tillage, cover crops, compost addition, and solid-seeded bean. Averaged over 12-yr, potato yields for 4-yr CONV rotations (potato–wheat–beet–bean) were lower than those for CONS systems. However, the decreased costs associated with not using compost in 4-yr CONV offset the losses in yield, thereby resulting in an overall net income higher than that of CONS systems.

Resumen

La producción convencional de papa (CONV, Solanum tuberosum L.) en Alberta se ha respaldado en altos niveles de alteraciones del suelo, que pudieran resultar en su degradación a largo plazo. Se condujo un estudio de 12 años (2000–2011) para enfatizar temas con el sistema CONV y para evaluar los efectos de prácticas de conservación (CONS) en aspectos económicos de la producción de papa de riego. Se cultivó la papa en rotaciones de 3 a 6 años, que incluían frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), remolacha (Beta vulgarins L.), trigo suave (Triticum aestivum L.), avena (Avena sativa L.) y el pasto bohordillo o hierba timotea (Phleum pratense L.). CONS incluyó labranza mínima, cultivos de cobertura, agregado de composta y frijol en alta densidad. Promediando sobre 12 años, los rendimientos de la papa en rotaciones CONV por 4 años (papa, trigo, remolacha, frijol) fueron más bajos que los de los sistemas CONS. No obstante, la disminución de costos asociada con no usar composta en 4 años de CONV compensa la pérdida en rendimiento, resultando entonces en un ingreso neto total más alto que el de los sistemas CONS.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, J.D., C. Lacy, C.S. Forrest, and R.D. Little. 2004. Expected utility analysis of stocker cattle ownership versus contract grazing in the southeast. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 36: 719–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ascough II, J.C., E.H. Fathelrahman, B.C. Vandenberg, T.R. Green, and D.L. Hoag. 2009. Economic risk analysis of agriculture tillage systems using the SMART stochastic efficiency software package. Cairns: 18th world imacs/modsim congress.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belcher, K.W., M.M. Boehm, and R.P. Zentner. 2003. The economic value of soil quality under alternative management in the Canadian prairies. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 51: 175–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, M.R., and J.B. Sanderson. 2001. Influence of conservation tillage and rotation length on potato productivity, tuber disease and soil quality parameters on a fine sandy loam in eastern Canada. Soil and Tillage Research 63: 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conn, K.L., and G. Lazarovits. 1999. Impact of animal manures on verticillium wilt, potato scab, and soil microbial populations. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 21: 81–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davenport, J.R., P.H. Milburn, C.J. Rosen, and R.E. Thornton. 2005. Environmental impacts of potato nutrient management. American Journal of Potato Research 82: 321–328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grandy, A.S., G.A. Porter, and M.S. Erich. 2002. Organic amendment and rotation crop effects on the recovery of soil organic matter and aggregation in potato cropping systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66: 1311–1319.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardaker, J.B., J.W. Richardson, G. Lien, and K.D. Schumann. 2004. Stochastic efficiency analysis with risk aversion bounds: a simplified approach. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48: 253–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, B.G., D.A. Horneck, and A.E. MacGuidwin. 2014. Improving phosphorus use efficiency through potato rhizosphere modification and extension. American Journal of Potato Research 91: 161–174.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khakbazan, M., C. Hamilton, A. Moulin, K. Belcher, R. Mohr, K. Volkmar, and D. Tomasiewicz. 2009. Modeling economic and agro-environmental dynamics of potato production systems. Journal of Bioeconomics 11: 65–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khakbazan, M., R.M. Mohr, K.M. Volkmar, D.J. Tomasiewicz, A.P. Moulin, D.A. Derksen, B.R. Irvine, D.L. McLaren, and M.A. Monreal. 2010. The economics of irrigated potato crop rotation in Manitoba. American Journal of Potato Research 87: 446–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khakbazan, M., C.A. Grant, J. Huang, E. Smith, J.T. O’Donovan, R.E. Blackshaw, K.N. Harker, G.P. Lafond, E.N. Johnson, Y. Gan, W.E. May, T.K. Turkington, and N.Z. Lupwayi. 2014. Economic effects of preceding crops and nitrogen application on canola and subsequent barley. Agronomy Journal 106: 2055–2066.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, K.K., W. Yan, and D.G.G. Le Roy. 2012. Estimating the incremental gross margins due to irrigation water in southern Alberta. Canadian Water Resources Journal 37: 89–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larney, F.J., D.C. Pearson, R.E. Blackshaw, P.J. Regitnig, N.Z. Lupwayi, and T.A. Forge. 2011. Vauxhall irrigated rotation study: annual report 2010. In Irrigated cropping systems for conservation management, ed. F.J. Larney, 45. Lethbridge: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larney, F.J., D.C. Pearson, R.E. Blackshaw, N.Z. Lupwayi, and D.R. Lynch. 2016. Conservation management practices and rotations for irrigated processing potato in southern Alberta. American Journal of Potato Research. doi:10.1007/s12230-015-9487-z.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, L., F.J. Larney, D.A. Angers, D.C. Pearson, and R.E. Blackshaw. 2015. Surface soil quality attributes following 12 years of conventional and conservation management on irrigated rotations in southern Alberta. Soil Science Society of America Journal 79: 930–942.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development. 2016. Guidelines for estimating potato production costs 2016. https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/business-and-economics/financial-management/pubs/cop_crop_irrigatedpotato.pdf. Accessed Jan. 13, 2016

  • Mohr, R.M., K. Volkmar, D.A. Derksen, R.B. Irvine, M. Khakbazan, D.L. McLaren, M.A. Monreal, A.P. Moulin, and D.J. Tomasiewicz. 2011. Effect of rotation on crop yield and quality in an irrigated potato system. American Journal of Potato Research 88: 346–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molina, O.I., M. Tenuta, A. El Hadrami, K. Buckley, C. Cavers, and F. Daayf. 2014. Potato early dying and yield responses to compost, green manures, seed meal and chemical treatments. American Journal of Potato Research 91: 414–428.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, A.D., N.L. Olsen, A.M. Carey, and A.B. Leytem. 2011. Residual effects of fresh and composted dairy manure applications on potato production. American Journal of Potato Research 88: 324–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz, F., R.S. Mylavarapu, and C.M. Hutchinson. 2005. Environmentally responsible potato production systems: a review. Journal of Plant Nutrition 28: 1987–1309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicol, L. 2005. Irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. Master of Arts, in Economics, 193. Lethbridge: University of Lethbridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Donovan, J.T., C.A. Grant, R.E. Blackshaw, K.N. Harker, E.N. Johnson, Y. Gan, G.P. Lafond, W.E. May, T.K. Turkington, N.Z. Lupwayi, F.C. Stevenson, D.L. McLaren, M. Khakbazan, and E.G. Smith. 2014. Rotational effects of legumes and non-legumes on hybrid canola and malting barley. Agronomy Journal 106: 1921–1932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, G.A., G.B. Opena, W.B. Bradbury, J.C. McBurnie, and J.A. Sisson. 1999. Soil management and supplemental irrigation effects on potato: I. Soil properties, tuber yield, and quality. Agronomy Journal 91: 416–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rees, H.W., T.L. Chow, B. Zebarth, Z. Xing, P. Toner, J. Lavoie, and J.L. Daigle. 2014. Impact of supplemental poultry manure application on potato yield and soil properties on a loam soil in north-western New Brunswick. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 94: 49–65.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J.W., and H.P. Mapp Jr. 1976. Use of probabilistic cash flows in analyzing investments under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics 8: 19–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J.W., S.L. Klose, and A.W. Gray. 2000. An applied procedure for estimating and simulating multivariate empirical (MVE) probability distributions in farm-level risk assessment and policy analysis. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 32: 299–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J.W., K. Schumann, and P. Feldman. 2008. Simetar©: simulation and econometrics to analyze risk. College Station: Simetar, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization. 2014. 2014–2015 Farm machinery custom and rental rate guide. http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=988d6a65-6edd-4ea9-be0b-55fa9f75b520. Accessed 12 Jan 2016. (line 189?: Need change from ‘Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization 2011’ to ‘Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization 2014’)

  • Statistics Canada. 2014a. Table 001–0010 - Estimated areas, yield, production and average farm price of principal field crops, in metric units, annual. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada. 2014b. Table 001–0014 - Area, production and farm value of potatoes, annual. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada. 2014c. Table 002–0001 - Farm cash receipts, annual. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, F.C., and C. van Kessel. 1996. The nitrogen and non-nitrogen rotation benefits of pea to succeeding crops. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 76: 735–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiessen, K.H.D., D.A. Lobb, G.R. Mehuys, and H.W. Rees. 2007. Tillage translocation and tillage erosivity by planting, hilling and harvesting operations common to potato production in Atlantic Canada. Soil and Tillage Research 97: 123–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. 2013. 2013 Cropping alternatives. in AgriProfit. Edmonton: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zentner, R.P., D.D. Wall, C.N. Nagy, E.G. Smith, D.L. Young, P.R. Miller, C.A. Campbell, B.G. McConkey, S.A. Brandt, G.P. Lafond, A.M. Johnston, and D.A. Derksen. 2002. Economics of crop diversification and soil tillage opportunities in the Canadian prairies. Agronomy Journal 94: 216–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zentner, R.P., P. Basnyat, S.A. Brandt, A.G. Thomas, D. Ulrich, C.A. Campbell, C.N. Nagy, B. Frick, R. Lemke, S.S. Malhi, and M.R. Fernandez. 2011. Effects of input management and crop diversity on non-renewable energy use efficiency of cropping systems in the Canadian Prairie. European Journal of Agronomy 34: 113–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zingore, S., R.J. Delve, J. Nyamangara, and K.E. Giller. 2008. Multiple benefits of manure: the key to maintenance of soil fertility and restoration of depleted sandy soils on African smallholder farms. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 80: 267–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Nathan Barry, Jim Sukeroff, Dale Reynolds, staff and summer students at the AAFC Vauxhall Sub-station and Brandon Research and Development Centre for field and technical assistance. Ron Gregus assisted with potato management. Jenifer Nitschelem (2000–2006) and Peter Regiting (2007–2011), Rogers Sugar Ltd./Lantic Inc. (Taber, AB) managed sugar beet husbandry. Funding contributions from the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute, the Potato Growers of Alberta, Alberta Pulse Growers; Lantic Inc., Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Pulse Science Cluster are greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Brandon Research and Development Centre, 2701 Grand Valley Road, R.R.#3, P.O. Box 1000A, Brandon, MB, R7A 5Y3, Canada

    Mohammad Khakbazan, Jianzhong Huang, Dustin Dilay & Ramona Mohr

  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, 5403 1st Ave. South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada

    Francis J. Larney, Drusilla C. Pearson & Robert E. Blackshaw

Authors
  1. Mohammad Khakbazan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francis J. Larney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jianzhong Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dustin Dilay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ramona Mohr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Drusilla C. Pearson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Robert E. Blackshaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Khakbazan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khakbazan, M., Larney, F.J., Huang, J. et al. Economic Comparison of Conventional and Conservation Management Practices for Irrigated Potato Production in Southern Alberta. Am. J. Potato Res. 93, 448–462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-016-9522-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-016-9522-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation