Abstract
Soilborne potato diseases are persistent problems in potato production. Use of disease-suppressive rotation crops, such as Brassica spp. (mustards, rapeseed) and sudangrass, has shown potential for management of soilborne diseases and enhanced yield in various crop production systems. However, how to best implement these crops into productive potato cropping systems has not yet been determined. In this research, potential disease-suppressive crops were evaluated under four different types of production management (as a cover crop, green manure, harvested crop-residue incorporated, and harvested crop-residue not incorporated) in potato rotation field trials, and their effects on disease, yield, and economic viability determined. Mustard blend, sudangrass, and rapeseed rotations reduced the tuber disease black scurf (by 16–27 %) and increased yield (by 6–11 %) relative to a barley rotation control, but only mustard blend consistently reduced common scab (by 11 %). All rotation crops managed as green manures produced lower disease (by 15–26 %) and higher yields (by 6–13 %) than other management practices. Overall, the combination of mustard blend managed as a green manure was most effective, reducing scurf by 54 % and increasing yield by 25 % relative to a soybean cover crop. The use of mustard or rapeseed as a harvested crop with incorporation provided the best economic return, increasing net income by more than $860/ha relative to the standard barley rotation, but mustard blend grown as a green manure or non-incorporated harvest crop also substantially increased net income ($600 to $780/ha).
Resumen
Las enfermedades de la papa en el suelo son problemas persistentes en su producción. El uso de rotación de cultivos para suprimir las enfermedades, tales como Brassica spp. (mostaza, colza) y pasto sudán, ha mostrado potencial para el manejo de las enfermedades del suelo y ha aumentado el rendimiento en varios sistemas de producción del cultivo. No obstante, aún no está determinado cómo implementar de la mejor manera estos cultivos en los sistemas productivos en el cultivo de papa. En esta investigación, se evaluaron cultivos con potencial supresivo de enfermedades bajo cuatro diferentes tipos de manejo de la producción (como cultivo de cobertura, abono verde, incorporación de residuos del cultivo después de cosecha, y residuos del cultivo no incorporados) en ensayos de campo de rotación en papa, y sus efectos en enfermedad, rendimiento, y en determinada viabilidad económica. Las rotaciones con la mezcla de mostaza, pasto sudán y colza redujeron la enfermedad de la costra negra del tubérculo (de 16–27 %) y aumentó el rendimiento (de 6–11 %) en relación a una rotación con cebada como testigo, pero la mezcla de mostaza sola redujo consistentemente la roña común (en un 11 %). Todas las rotaciones de cultivo manejadas como abonos verdes produjeron más baja enfermedad (en 15–26 %) y más altos rendimientos (de 6–13 %) que otras prácticas de manejo. En general, la combinación de la mezcla de mostaza manejada como abono verde fue la más efectiva, reduciendo la costra negra en un 54 % y aumentando el rendimiento en un 25 % en relación a un cultivo de cobertura de soya. El uso de mostaza o colza como cultivo cosechado con incorporación suministró la mejor ganancia económica, incrementando los ingresos netos por más de $ 860/ha en relación con la rotación convencional con cebada, pero la mezcla de mostaza cultivada como abono verde o como cultivo cosechado no incorporado también aumentó substancialmente el ingreso neto (de $ 600 a $ 780/ha).
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank our colleagues C.W. Honeycutt, T. Griffin, and M. Olanya for their involvement in the concept, planning and set-up of this study, L. Matthiesen for her thorough and capable technical assistance on all aspects of this work, D. Cowperthwaite for managing and maintaining the field site, and P. Pinette, G. Trusty, E. Champaco, J. Hunt, and B. LeGasse for additional technical support.
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Larkin, R.P., Halloran, J.M. Management Effects of Disease-Suppressive Rotation Crops on Potato Yield and Soilborne Disease and Their Economic Implications in Potato Production. Am. J. Potato Res. 91, 429–439 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-014-9366-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-014-9366-z