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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #224361
Title: Enhancing Potato System Sustainability: Project Overview, Plant Growth, and Yield

Author
item Honeycutt, Charles
item Griffin, Timothy
item Larkin, Robert - Bob
item Halloran, John
item Olanya, Modesto
item He, Zhongqi

Submitted to: Northeast Potato Technology Forum Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2008
Publication Date: 3/13/2008
Citation: Honeycutt, C.W., Griffin, T.S., Larkin, R.P., Halloran, J.M., Olanya, O.M., He, Z. 2008. Enhancing Potato System Sustainability: Project Overview, Plant Growth, and Yield. Northeast Potato Technology Forum Abstracts. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Potato yield in the Northeast U.S. has remained constant for over 50 years, despite increased inputs of pesticides, nutrients, and water. Consequently, research is needed to quantify and reduce the constraints to potato productivity. We established Status Quo, Soil Conserving, Soil Improving, and Disease Suppressive cropping systems under both irrigated and rainfed management to identify and quantify these constraints. Each system was evaluated by our interdisciplinary team for plant growth and productivity, soil chemical-physical-biological properties, tuber diseases, soilborne diseases, foliar diseases, economics, and their interactions. Under rainfed management, highest Leaf Area Index (LAI) was obtained in the Soil Improving System, and lowest LAI was observed in the Status Quo Continuous Potato System in 2006 and 2007. The same relationships were observed when irrigated; however, differences among cropping systems were much less distinct. Similarly, highest Leaf Area Duration was found in the Soil Improving System. These results indicate that management practices focused on improving the soil resulted in potato plant canopies with greater and longer lasting photosynthetic potential. This translated into higher yield, where the Soil Improving System under rainfed management increased potato yield by 23% in 2006, and 51% in 2007. These results show that management practices to improve soils can significantly increase potato yield and can serve as a substitute to supplemental irrigation in the cool, humid Northeast.