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Title: PRODUCTION OF CREAMER POTATOES IN A NO-TILLAGE COVER CROPPING SYSTEM

Author
item Carrera, Lidia
item MORSE, R - VPI AND STATE UNIVERSITY
item Abdul Baki, Aref
item Haynes, Kathleen
item Teasdale, John

Submitted to: Potato Association of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Conservation tillage conserves soil and together with cover crops improves soil fertility and controls weeds. We evaluated an alternative production system using raised beds, cover crops, and no tillage in creamer potato, Solanum tuberosum, production. The experiments were conducted in two locations, Beltsville, MD, and Blacksburg, VA. The experimental design was a split plot with nine cover crops as main plots, and three potato clones (B1145-2, B1491-5, B1492-12) as subplots. The cover crops were rye (R), crimson clover (CC), brassica (BR), Austrian winter peas (AWP), R plus CC, BR plus CC, CC in flat beds, and bare soil in both flat and raised beds. Yields, weed biomass and disease resistance were recorded. Yields at both locations were significantly influenced by the cover crops. Highest yields at both locations were obtained with R plus CC mixture reaching 22 and 15.3 t.ha (^-1) in MD and VA, respectively. B1145-2 was the highest yielding clone at both locations. The performance of the remaining eight cover crops varied greatly between locations. There were significant clone x cover crop interactions at both locations. These results suggest that the use of cover crops and no-tillage appear to be a viable and economic system. However, optimum performance of cultivars depends on selecting the appropriate cover crop for the location.